Broken Faith
by Science Fantasy
Summary: The story of ObiWan Kenobi and Arion Nu'Moor, two Jedi who have been life long friends. But what happens to their friendship after the end of the Republic? ObiOC.
1. Prologue

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

**Note:** This is my second attempt at posting this story on FFn. I'm really hoping that it has improved a lot since I first posted, so please be sure to review and tell me what you think. Everything that is written in italics is a flashback. The flashbacks will take place farther and farther in the past as the story goes on, and provide the back-story for the events that are happening in the present. Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoy the story!

* * *

"**The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated. Any collaborators will suffer the same fate. These have been trying times, but we have passed the test. The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you my resolve has never been stronger. The war is over. The Separatists have been defeated, and the Jedi rebellion has been foiled. We stand on the threshold of a new beginning. In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society which I assure you will last for ten thousand years. An empire that will continue to be ruled by this august body and a sovereign ruler chosen for life . . . An empire ruled by the majority . . . Ruled by a new constitution."

* * *

**

Prologue: The Third Survivor

_Arion grunted as she hauled the other Jedi to his feet. Positioning his arm around her shoulders, she made her way through the blaster fire and swinging lightsabers, towards a nearby medical escort ship. She paused, using her free hand to wave down a few Clone Troopers not locked in combat. Soon, a small detachment had surrounded them, shielding them from the chaos of battle._

_"Where were you hit?" She asked the wounded man._

_"In my side… by my rib cage…" He gasped in response._

_"Is it deep?"_

_"No, it was an indirect hit."_

_"You're bleeding quiet a bit; looks like one of your ribs shattered and cut into you pretty good." Arion said as she briefly examined his injury. _

_"There!" One of the Clones yelled, "Up head, there's another medical ship landing now. Move fast, we're almost there!"_

_Nodding in response, Arion looked up at the ship, which was closer to them than the previous one had been, and then back over at the man she was dragging along. He was still conscious._

_"Did you hear that?" She smiled comfortingly at him._

_"Sure did." He managed._

_"You're going to be fine." She reassured him._

_The other Jedi nodded weakly, taking in a ragged breath._

_The group picked up their speed, stepping over the dead bodies of Clones and Jedi Knights, and the broken shells of ruined droids. The yellow sky was clouded with black smoke, obscuring the sleek silver bodies of Republic ships and the hulking black droid fighters. All around the battlefield red cliffs rose imposingly out of the rough terrain, sweeping across the vast horizon. This planet, she believed its name was Lok, was nothing Arion wanted to fight over. It was small, stark, and insignificant to the Republic. The only reason they were here was because the space battle had literally fallen out of the sky, bringing the war to the uninhabited wasteland._

_And to think she'd been thrilled when she'd finally been offered the chance to serve as a general in the Outer Rim Sieges. Arion rolled her eyes at the memory. She'd been stationed at Arbra with a small task force of Jedi Knights before she was called out to fight in the Karthakk system. Because she didn't have her own Apprentice, the Council had allowed her to take one of the newly appointed Knights along with her. He was barely even a month out of his training when he arrived, and now here he was beside her, facing an injury that had the potential to change everything. Not just for him, but maybe even for her as well. Having never taken a Padawan learner, Arion was yet to be elevated to the rank of Jedi Master. She sensed that this was her final test of sorts; after all, she was the only non-Master to serve as a general in the Republic Army. She was sure that one promotion would surely follow the other, as long as the battle went smoothly. Getting your partner shot wasn't exactly considered 'going smoothly'._

_"Your name's Blaike, right?" Arion inquired to the man, attempting to fill the silence that had fallen between the two Jedi Knights._

_"Right," He answered._

_"Well, Blaike," She said over the roar of battle and the pounding of the ship's engines, "We've finally made it out of that forsaken skirmish."_

_With that, the ramp came down on the ship, and a Clone medic came rushing down to meet them._

_"What happened?" He asked as he took Blaike from Arion._

_"Shot through the rib cage." Came the reply._

_"He needs help right away, but it looks like he'll make it." The medic stated as he inspected the wound. "Get him onboard!"_

_"Roger that," One of the Clone troopers responded, picking up the wounded Jedi and carrying him after the medic. Arion and the four Clones that were left followed, and the ramp sealed shut behind them._

_They quickly found Blaike a repulsorlift cot to take him down to the medical bay. The Clones followed along as Arion helped the medic pull Blaike's robes away from his wound so they could get a better look._

_"It's difficult to tell how extensive his injuries are from just looking at the outside. If it's as bad as it looks, I'd like to take him up to the field hospital in the asteroid field for surgery to repair the internal damage." The medic said, injecting Blaike with a sedative as the group passed through gleaming white blast doors, at last entering the ship's medical ward._

_The medic transferred Blaike from the cot to a bed, and a medical droid quickly buzzed over to attend to the Jedi Knight. It clicked and whistled something at the medic, who nodded and turned back towards Arion and the other Clones._

_"He needs to get back to the hospital. There's nothing more you can do here," He said._

_"I see. Thank you for helping him." Arion bowed to the medic then gave Blaike a reassuring smile before pushing her way past the Clones. As she was leaving the medical bay, she heard one of the Clones' comlinks beeping._

_She swiftly made her way down the hall, taking care to dodge any small droids or carts that obstructed her path._

_Finally, Arion reached the ship's exit ramp. Oddly enough, the door did not automatically open when she approached it. With an exasperated sigh, she reached out and tapped at the control panel. It was just like one of these ships to malfunction at a time like this._

_But nothing happened. Arion's brow furrowed as her annoyance grew into concern. She tried again, but still to no avail. Something wasn't right._

_The sound of a loud crash behind her caught her ear, and she swung around, lightsaber at the ready. Arion looked around warily, but the source of the noise was only one of the droids in the hall that had banged into a cart of unused medical supplies. She powered down her lightsaber, and then reached back over to the switch on the wall, desperately trying to operate the door controls with one hand while she hooked her lightsaber back onto her belt with the other._

_"Come on," She muttered anxiously, turning her full attention back to the panel._

_"There she is!" A voice called out._

_Arion wheeled around, only to see the Clone detachment that had followed her onboard as they quickly raised their blasters, taking aim at her._

_With a gasp of surprise, she Force-pushed them back, knocking all five troopers off of their feet. She then took off down the corridor, taking the first sharp turn she saw and disappearing around the corner._

_At last, she found a door that would open for her, and hid inside. Using the small control panel on her side, she locked the door behind her. She sank to the ground with her back against the door, heart pounding. She took a deep breath and looked around. She was in a small supply closet, with no way to escape._

_Arion worriedly bit her lip as she heard the footsteps of the approaching Clones. She slid away from the door, placing her hand over her mouth to stifle the sound of her breathing._

_"Open the door," One Clone ordered when they were right outside of the closet where Arion was hiding._

_Taking a deep breath, Arion placed her palm flat against the door. _

"_This door's jammed… move along," She whispered._

_"This door's jammed. Move along." Sure enough, one of the Clones repeated her words._

_"You three," Another one began, "Keep searching. We'll stay here and guard the exit ramp, in case she doubles back."_

_They began to march off. Arion exhaled quietly, carefully turning the handle. Slowly, when she was sure the troopers were a safe distance away, she pushed the door open. She silently stepped out into the austere white hallway. Her heart was beating rapidly as she tried to keep herself under control. She was gaining on them now, only a few more seconds and she would have them. She warily took her lightsaber from her belt, ready to power up the blade at a moment's notice._

_"There's no one back here," The Clone on the far left said, "let's search the cockpit. She could have slipped past us."_

_"Roger." The trooper next to him replied._

_"Roger." The other one echoed. They turned around, only to come face-to-face with Arion._

_"What the-"One began, but it was too late. Arion switched on her lightsaber, the golden blade shooting up from the base with an electric buzz. Before any of the Clones even thought to raise their blasters, she swung the saber, cutting all three cleanly in half._

_She waited for a moment, hardly daring to breathe, let alone move. The soft hum of her lightsaber was the only sound in the silence. When she was sure the other Clones weren't coming to investigate, she powered down the blade._

_She let out a long, slow breath before she finally turned away from the surrealistic scene before her. She didn't have time to think about it now. Whatever the reason, they had tried to kill her, and that was all there was to it. Her own men had turned on her. And she didn't have time to wonder why. She had to find the other Clones aboard the ship… before they found her._

_She felt like she was moving in slow motion. One foot in front of the other. She slowly headed back down the hall, striding dangerously towards the remaining two Clones. She finally saw them standing guard at the exit ramp, once facing the medical wing, the other facing her. She turned on her lightsaber once again, spinning the metallic base with a flick of her wrist for added effect._

_"Sir, there she is!" The trooper facing her exclaimed._

_"Open fire!" The other one commanded, wheeling about._

_The shrill shriek of blaster fire accompanied the hum and buzz of Arion's lightsaber. Arion deflected their blasts, swiftly gaining ground on the Clones. Leaping over the nearest Clone's head, she flipped gracefully in the air and landed smoothly between them. Taking advantage of their confusion, she immediately executed one by thrusting her lightsaber into his back. Arion kicked the other in the chin as he turned to fire at her, knocking him across the hallway and into the remains of the cart that had been knocked over in the crash earlier. Pulling her lightsaber out of the dead Clone, she nonchalantly blocked the clumsy blaster fire aimed at her. Angling the blade just right, Arion caused one shot to ricochet back at the trooper on the ground, hitting him in the arm. The Clone cried out in pain, scrambling backwards to put distance between Arion and himself. Firing sporadically, he rose to his feet and continued to back up._

_Arion winced as one of his shots whizzed past her face, missing by mere inches. She was beginning to have trouble blocking his wild firing, and at the rate they were going, he was going to have some help from the medic before long._

_In an act of desperation, she took one hand from the hilt of her saber and Force-pushed him back again, sending him flying into the blast doors of the medical bay. The doors opened when he impacted, and he fell through the hole and into the next room._

_With a burst of speed, she rushed after him, diving through the shrinking opening in the blast doors. She swung her lightsaber as she rolled across the floor, slicing the Clone's legs off from below him. She regained her footing and stepped down on his throat, grabbing the blaster out of his hand and firing off one shot to finish him._

_She spun around in time to catch the medic off guard. She shot him squarely in the chest while he was still fumbling with his blaster pistol._

_"Another one bites the dust," She quipped, switching off her lightsaber and hanging it back on her belt._

_Looking around, she saw the medical droid from before buzzing around the back of the room, confusedly darting between the three dead bodies. It beeped something at her, but she didn't have the faintest idea of what it was saying._

_"Can you take me to the cockpit?" She asked it, making a motion like a ship taking off with her hand._

_The droid clicked and whirred as it came over to her, but it didn't seem to understand her request either._

_"The cockpit," She repeated, "You know, the place with the pilots. The cockpit."_

_The droid buzzed again, and flew by her. She followed, once again navigating her way through the crowded halls. After a while, the droid stopped and hovered in the air in front of a set of doors. It beeped something at her again before moving off._

_Taking a deep breath, Arion approached the doors. They slid open with a soft metallic hiss. Beyond them, two Clones sat in the pilots' chairs. Arion let the breath she had just taken slowly escape her lips as she stepped inside the room, letting the doors slide shut again behind her.

* * *

_

_The ship lurched into flight, swiftly ascending into the atmosphere._

_Heaving a sigh, Arion switched on the ship's autopilot, then began to make her way back to the medical bay. She slowly shuffled along, keeping her gaze cast down towards the floor. When she got back, she paused a moment next to Blaike's body to fold his arms over the fresh blaster holes in his chest before she sat down on the edge of another empty bed. She pulled out her comlink and spoke quietly into it._

_"R10, do you copy?"_

_The sound of cheery beeping came from the other side._

_"R10, take my ship up to the hospital in the outskirts of the asteroid field near the planet. Avoid the battle if at all possible. And send out an emergency signal to all known Jedi."_

_R10 beeped and whistled a reply._

_"Yes, emergency code 913."_

_After a moment of silence, R10 bleeped again._

_"Thank you, R10. I will be joining you shortly." Arion finished, placing the comlink back into the pouch from which it had come. For a moment after that, she was still, her unfocused eyes gazing off at some distant nothing._

_The ship pitched as it entered space, jolting her out of her quiet state. She straightened and rose, looking down ruefully at the body of the dead Clone beside her. Before she knew what she was doing, she wound up and kicked the trooper's body, sending him tumbling over the floor of the vessel. He smacked into one of the beds lining the wall across from Arion, knocking some loose object out of his uniform. It was a comlink. The device rolled on its side to Arion's feet, clinking to a halt when it hit the toe of her boot._

_She looked down at it curiously, then slowly bent to pick it up. As soon as her fingers touched it, the comlink flickered to life, displaying its last transmission on a loop. An iridescent blue figure crackled into focus on the tiny holoprojector. The figure appeared to be an aging man, though it was hard for Arion to tell, as he was wearing a robe with a hood that covered most of his face._

_"Execute Order 66," The figure droned, then sputtered and was gone, only to appear again and deliver the same haunting message over and over._

_"Order 66?" She wondered out loud. Gradually, she began to realize what was happening. This was the order for the Clones to kill their Jedi commanders. She looked back down at the comlink, carefully studying the image it was projecting. Arion felt a cold chill run down her spine as she realized who the figure in the dark cloak was._

_"That's the Sith Lord we've been looking for," She noted bitterly, then furrowed her brow as she grew more and more concerned, "But how did he gain access to our Clone Troopers? And why would they take an order from him? Force, if he ordered all of the Clones to do this, then the same thing has probably just happened to every Jedi Knight outside of the Temple."_

_Once again unable to control her emotions, she lifted the comlink from the floor and heaved it as hard as she could against the far wall. It connected, shattering into minuscule pieces that all fell with a light clinking noise. As it did, Arion slowly sank to the floor, pulling her knees under her chin and hugging them tightly against herself as she waited for the ship to land again.

* * *

_

_The medical escort landed on an asteroid that was being used as a make-shift hospital for those injured in the battle. Dressed in the least damaged pieces of Clone armor she could find aboard the ship, Arion pushed the cot that still held Blaike's body down to the morgue. At the foot of the bed was a white canvas bag, usually used for holding the belongings of the deceased, which contained her possessions._

_When Arion had dropped off Blaike's body, she took the bag of possessions and swung it over her shoulder. She exited the room, and headed down the hall to the civilian docking bays on the other end of the compound. The hall was congested with pilots, troopers, medics, and droids; but the hospital was so busy, that none of them took any notice of her as she passed._

_At last, she reached the docking bay. Finding an empty dock, she ducked into the shadows, and took her comlink out of the bag._

_"R10," She whispered, "R10, do you copy? I'm at the hospital. Civilian docking bay number 03054."_

_R10 whistled happily in response._

_"I see you now. I'm on my way." Arion finished, putting the device back into the bag with her other things._

_The small fighter came down easily, and the cockpit opened. Darting across the ramp, she jumped smoothly in, and immediately re-started the launch cycle._

_"Has anyone responded to our message?" She asked R10 as the ship lifted up in the air and she fastened the restraints._

_R10's answer was negative._

_"Well, have you picked up any messages?" Arion wondered out loud, and R10 pulled up a coded message on the read out screen. It appeared to be from the Jedi Temple, but when Arion read its contents, she began to doubt its authenticity._

_"Return to the Jedi Temple, the War is over?" Arion puzzled, removing the Clone helmet and putting on her own headset, "The war is over my-" She paused and took a deep breath, "No R10, we're not going back. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…"_

_R10 beeped proudly._

_"That's right," Arion half-smiled, "now, let's get out of here."_

_The ship cleared the hanger, and was on its way. Arion set up the autopilot then leaned back in her seat. She rubbed her eyes wearily, sighing to herself as the full impact of what had just happened slowly sank in. _

_R10 whistled dejectedly._

_"No, R10, nothing's wrong." She replied to the little droid. It bleeped something back, but did not continue to inquire about her disposition._

_Digging through the bag, Arion pulled out her utility belt, and opened up one of the smaller front pockets. From the pouch she removed a simple necklace. It was made of a black chord with a tiny silver sunburst charm. In the center of the charm was a bright green crystal that, though very small, sparkled and shone radiantly in the dimness of the cockpit. She undid the clasp and slipped it on over her head, absent-mindedly rubbing the charm between her fingers._

_Suddenly, a blurry image popped up on her hologram projector. R10 whooped excitedly._

_"It's Senator Organa… but I can't understand what he's saying, R10 can you find a way to make the signal clea-" Arion was cut off by the sound of lasers and R10's cry of surprise._

_Overhead, two droid fighters were closing in on them. The autopilot had taken them too close to the battle._

_"Blast it all!" Arion exclaimed, overriding the program and taking back control of the ship._

_She dove into a downward spiral, attempting to loose the pursuers. The two ships opened fire, several shots barely missing Arion. She pulled the ship level, only to run right into another droid vessel, which fired and made contact. _

_"We've lost all communications!" Arion shouted in frustration, returning a barrage of laser fire and homing rockets. When the missiles hit it, the ship in front of her lost control, and spun dizzily into a nearby asteroid. Quickly pulling up and looping around, Arion got behind the other two, unleashing the same bombardment upon them. She barely had time to roll out of the way as one fighter exploded, taking the other one down with it._

_"Well, that was close," Arion muttered, "R10 can you repair the damage to the communications system?"_

_R10 whirred and beeped back, stating that the injury was far too great for him to mend. With another set of short whistles, R10 asked where they would go next._

_"We'll just have to hide out in another remote system until this thing blows over," She said, setting a course for another remote Outer Rim planet, "After that, we will go to Alderaan, and find Senator Organa."_

_With a sinking tone, R10 beeped in his agreement._

_"Don't worry, R10, if there are any others left, we'll find them…" Arion reassured the droid, "I promise."

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_

Please Review! 


	2. Chapter 1

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

* * *

Chapter One: Tatooine

* * *

Arion pulled her speeder up to the house, carefully stepping out onto the desert sand. It was early evening, and the shadows of the dunes were stretched long across the rippling sea of russet barrenness that surrounded the farm. She looked out, past the vast emptiness of the planet, to the duel sunset that illuminated the sky. There was not one cloud in sight, no hope of relief for the people of the parched planet. Arion couldn't rationalize why anyone would want to live in such a scorching, dry place. Then again, perhaps the beings that did live here might have had similar sentiments, if they ever saw the bustling city of Coruscant, where she had grown up.

None of that mattered now, anyway. It was not as if she could ever go back. All she could do now was ask for the aid of the family who lived here. Hopefully, they would be able to help her. She'd already been through much in order to get to Tatooine, and there was no turning back now.

Taking a deep breath, Arion approached the door and hit the buzzer. From behind the metallic barrier she sensed someone approaching. Within moments, the door opened, and a young woman holding a small child peered out at her. She had light brown hair and blue eyes, and looked to be at least a decade Arion's junior.

"May I help you?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm looking for someone," Arion replied, "and I believe you may know where he is."

The woman shifted the toddler from one arm to the other. The child looked to be no more than a year and a half old.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Arion Nu'Moor – I am an old friend of Obi-Wan Kenobi's. Do you know where he is?"

"Why are you searching for him?"

"We grew up together at the Jedi Temple. An acquaintance of ours told me that he survived the slaughter of the Jedi Order, that he was here on Tatooine, and that a moisture farmer by the name of Lars would know where I could find him. I want to see him again… and I think that he would be grateful to know that I am still alive as well."

The woman studied her for a moment, impassively.

"My husband may be able to help you. Wait just one second, please."

"Thank you." Arion answered with a relived sigh.

"Of course," The woman said, then turned and called back into the house, "Owen! Owen, could you come here?"

Soon, a man of the same age joined the woman at the door.

"What is it, Beru?" He asked, eyeing Arion curiously.

"She's looking for Obi-Wan Kenobi," The woman repeated cautiously.

"Really?" Owen replied, and then asked Arion, "Why do you wish to see him?"

"He's an old friend of mine, from the Jedi Temple." Arion reiterated.

The child in Beru's arms cooed as Owen looked Arion up and down.

"You're a Jedi Knight, then?" He asked.

"I was."

"I thought all of the Jedi were killed."

"I was lucky," Arion responded.

Owen sighed, looking back and forth between Arion and his wife.

"I think we can trust her, Owen." Beru said under her breath, though not softly enough to escape Arion's hearing.

"Alright, I'll take you to him," He told Arion. "Beru, you go ahead and put Luke to bed, I'll be back shortly."

The woman nodded, and disappeared back into the house.

"Just follow me on my speeder when I bring it around," Owen said.

"I will. Thank you." Arion returned as he shut the door.

Arion climbed back into her speeder, listening to the sounds of the twilight all around her. With a sigh, she ran her fingers through her long brown hair. After she'd gone into hiding, she'd stopped wearing it in the single braid she'd kept it in as a Jedi, and begun to keep it in the style Arion remembered one of her favorite teachers in the Temple wearing. The top layers of her waist-length locks were pulled into a tight bun, with the last inches spilling out in loose curls. The rest of her hair was smooth and straight, except for four thin tendrils that were short and curled, which fell around her face, two over her forehead, and two in front of her ears. It was a much more feminine look than she'd ever worn before, one that she felt clashed with the plain Jedi robes she was wearing at the moment.

She pulled her cloak tighter around her as she felt the nighttime chill settling in over the land. The simple clothes and her lightsaber, which still hung from the utility belt around her hips, were all she had left of her life as a Jedi. There were times when she'd sit alone in the dark, wrapped in her old brown cloak, holding the humming blade before her, basking in the yellow glow. Sometimes she would sit and think about the past, or about what could have been, if only certain events had unfolded differently. Other times, she just sat and stared, unable to focus long enough to thoroughly contemplate anything.

She yawned, drumming her fingers on the side of the speeder. That was enough remembering for now. The awareness that she could not turn back time and return to her days as a Jedi Knight was still hard for her to bear, though she felt that someday there would be hope enough to bandage those still open wounds.

Soon, Arion perked her head up as she began to hear the hum of an approaching speeder. She sat up straight, and started up the engine of her own speeder. Just ahead of her, she saw Owen pulled around and waved her forward. At last, she was going to see Obi-Wan again.

* * *

The journey wasn't very long, but their path proved to be winding. Owen drove from the open desert to the edge of a rocky canyon, and their trail became narrower and narrower as scattered boulders began to obstruct their way. Now the dusky sky was becoming darker, deepening the shadows made by the rock walls. Up ahead, Arion could make out what appeared to be a dead-end in the road. The open way ended in a tumble of huge boulders, with just enough room between some of them for a person to fit through. Owen slowed to a stop, and Arion pulled up beside him.

"This is as far as I can take you on speeder," He said, "We could go around another way, but I don't want to try it this late in the evening. There's a footpath right beyond those boulders, just follow it up the hill. I'd take you up myself, but it's getting dark out, and I've got to get home before the danger from Sand People increases any more."

"I appreciate you taking me this far," Arion thanked him.

"You shouldn't leave your speeder out here at night. I'll take it back to my home, and you can retrieve it later."

"Thank you again, that's very kind of you," Arion replied as she reached into the speeder and removed the travel bag she'd brought with her.

"It's no trouble. Remember, just follow the path."

Arion bowed with a smile, and Owen tied their speeders together with a towing cable, and then drove away.

"Safe journey," Arion muttered as she was left all alone.

Heaving a sigh, she squeezed between the boulders and started up the path that she found on the other side. The pathway was steep, and riddled with loose rock. The trail gently curved to the left, and Arion was thankful that at least the lack of sharp turns left no corners for any manner of things to hide behind.

Above her head, pale stars began to dot the deep blue sky. The lighting in the canyon was surreal, almost dream-like; a perfect reflection of the way Arion was feeling inside. It almost didn't seem possible to her that after almost two years, she was finally going to see her old friend once more. The world in which she had known Obi-Wan seemed as if it had already been gone for a lifetime.

After what seemed like an eternity, she saw a small house at the end of the path, its dim light spilling out of the windows. Her heart began to pound as the door opened, and a silhouetted figure appeared in the doorway.

Arion felt a wave of contentment wash over her as she took in the sight of her old friend. His hair was longer that the last time she'd seen him, and his beard more trim. The glaring suns hadn't managed to have too much of an effect on his smooth skin, and his bright eyes shone as clearly as ever.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi!" Arion smiled as she approached the dwelling, "How have you been, my old friend?"

"Arion? Ari, Is that you?" Obi-Wan asked in disbelief as she stepped into the light coming from the open door behind him.

"Of course it is! Did you think I'd forgotten all about you, Obi-Wan?" She answered, as she dropped her bag and rushed forward to embrace him.

"I thought you were dead…" He replied, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to himself as if he were afraid she would slip away at any moment and be lost to him forever; "You have no idea how good it is to see you again."

"The feeling's mutual," She replied, resting her head against his shoulder, "Force, you've hardly changed at all," Arion continued softly, feeling radiant in the warmth of the smile that was slowly spreading across her friend's face.

"Ah, but you, my friend, are even more beautiful than I remember." Obi-Wan complimented her, relaxing his hold on her and taking a small step back.

"How many times have I told you not to say such things?" Arion blushed, falling back into their old banter.

"Once a day, every day that passes until you stop being so lovely." Obi-Wan grinned, and the pair embraced once more.

"I have missed you so," Arion whispered, taking his face in her hands.

"Of course you have," Obi-Wan joked, touching the tip of his nose to hers.

"Obi-Wan!" She pretended to scold him, dropping her hands to his shoulders.

There was a pause as they both looked into each other's eyes, the jubilant looks they had shared earlier fading in favor of something more serious.

"Well, what are we standing around out here for?" Obi-Wan filled the silence, "Please, come inside."

He let go of her, giving her time to pick up her bag again. When she had, he reached out and placed a guiding hand on the small of her back before leading her inside the small house.

"I was just eating dinner," Obi-Wan continued, "it's not much, but you may have some if you like."

"Thank you…" Arion replied absently as she placed her bag on the floor and took off her cloak, noting her surroundings.

The entire shelter consisted of one room, which had been subdivided into different sections; the boundaries of which were large pillars that ran from the floor to the ceiling. On one side, there was a raised kitchen, the table was pushed against the wall to the right of the door, and was surrounded by several wooden chairs. An all-in-one kitchen center, which was also the source of the dim light, was between the table and a dividing screen; on the other side of which was a doorway that lead into a small fresher. Down a small set of stairs and adjacent to the far wall, snugly fit into a small cove, sat a bed. At the foot of which was a large trunk, which Arion assumed contained extra pillows and blankets. Storage units were placed against three of the walls, and to the left of the doorway a set of windows and a shelf wrapped around a corner. There was also a small trap door, which Arion would later find out lead to an underground room that contained power generators and water storage units. It was immediately clear that the little house was only meant for the use of one person.

Obi-Wan closed the door behind them, then made his way over to the kitchen center to get an extra bowl and spoon. He set her a place next to his own, served out the remains of the meal, and sat down. Arion draped her cloak her cloak over the back of her chair before joining him. He had made only a simple broth, but it was still the best meal Arion had eaten in a long time.

"So how have you been, Ari?" Obi-Wan questioned her, desperately searching for a way to start up another conversation.

Arion swallowed the food in her mouth before answering, "Alright, I suppose."

"What have you been doing all this time?"

"For a long time, I drifted from system to system, until I had the good fortune to find Senator Organa. When I told him that I was a friend of yours, he sent me to find you here. He also sends his greetings, by the way."

"It is good to know that he is well." Obi-Wan remarked, a faint smile flickering across his face.

"It is always good to know that your friends are well," Arion grinned at him.

Obi-Wan smiled back, holding her gaze for a few moments.

"You know, you have the most amazing eyes in the entire Universe." He said quietly, referring to the dazzling violet hue of her irises, a trait that was exceedingly rare among humans, and Arion attributed it to an alien relative in the distant past.

Arion's throat tightened. This was not a part of their usual conversation.

"Sometimes I feel as if they are more of a curse than a blessing." Arion muttered self-consciously, lowering her eyes.

"I don't think that's true."

"Yes, it is. When we were still younglings at the Temple, all the other human children would make fun of me behind my back. They thought I couldn't hear the things they said about me, but I did. People still say things about them sometimes. Someone once called them 'unnatural' right in front of me." She finished, her voice displaying the same far-off quality as the memories she was describing.

"I always thought your eyes were beautiful," Obi-Wan insisted, reaching out and turning her face towards his once more. Arion looked back up at him, a timid smile spreading across her lips from the unexpected compliment.

"Lovely," Obi-Wan murmured, brushing his fingertips against her cheek.

Arion blushed, and her heart resumed its pounding. She felt as if he could see through her defenses, to a part of her feelings that she had never let him sense. She could always sense that he was holding something back from her as well, but that was hardly out of place among Jedi. Force-shielding one's emotions was little more than standard fare for any well-disciplined Jedi Knight.

"You really shouldn't –" She began, but stopped suddenly when she looked up at him to find that he was still starring at her. She cleared her throat and ducked her head, nervously rubbing the back of her neck.

In the ensuing silence, Obi-Wan leaned over, kissed her on the forehead, and then rose to clear the table.

"So, how does one come across a place like this?" Arion asked, swallowing back the lump in her throat.

"I found it," Obi-Wan responded, "you'd be surprised at just how many dwellings like this one you'd find around the outskirts of the Dune Sea."

"It must be so lonely out here…" Arion said quietly, taking in the silence and stillness of the night.

"I've become accustomed to it," Obi-Wan replied, sorting through shelves and clicking switches on and off.

"How do you pass the time?"

"I sit and let the Force flow through me…" Obi-Wan paused for a moment, grinning to himself, "And I talk to Qui-Gon."

"What do you tell him?" Arion asked softly as she studied his movements.

"That Luke is growing so quickly and the Force is strong with him… though Owen doesn't want to believe that. And I tell him about how I miss Anakin, Padmé, and the other Jedi," He replied, his voice growing softer. He leaned against the counter in front of him, standing with his back to her.

Arion rose, and stood behind him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"And what does Qui-Gon make of all of this?" She whispered as he put his hand over hers.

"He is proud of Luke, and tells me how the others miss me as well. Most importantly, he reminds me of my duty."

"Duty?" Arion's voice was breaking over the word, "What duty? What is left of the galaxy we once knew to uphold and protect? I lost my sense of duty a long time ago."

"The past two years have been difficult for many," Obi-Wan said, turning to face her and weaving his fingers between hers. They stood so close together that the hands they had clasped were resting against both of their chests.

"If it's been this hard for me," He continued, "I can't even begin to imagine what things have been like for you."

"You don't have to–" Arion started to say, but he gently raised the hand she still held in her own, softly pressing his thumb against her mouth to quiet her.

She looked up into his eyes, searching them, wanting him to open up his feelings to her. He returned her gaze, brushing his thumb over her lower lip.

"Obi-Wan…" She murmured as he slid the tip of his thumb between her slightly parted lips.

Disentangling his fingers from hers, Obi-Wan cupped her face in his hand as her arms slipped around him. He paused for a moment before leaning in and kissing her.

Obi-Wan pulled her closer against him with an arm wrapped securely around her waist. She could hardly believe how good it felt to finally have his warm body surrounding her, his soft lips against her own. She felt her knees weaken as he slid his tongue into her mouth. The air around them seemed somehow heavier, hotter, as Arion ran her hands over Obi-Wan's body. Her fingers glided in between the folds of his tunic, tracing the edge of the opening down his chest. She pushed aside the fabric, softly caressing his skin. His hand left her face, following the curves of her body until it came to rest on her lower back. He reached down and unfastened the belt from which her lightsaber hung, tossing it onto the floor. Arion pushed her hands inside his tunic, breathing heavily against his mouth. She could feel his heart beating beneath her palm; his pulse was racing along with hers.

Obi-Wan ended the kiss, and Arion found herself once again looking up into his eyes. She slid her hands down his chest and undid his belt, letting it fall to the floor beside her own. Still looking up at him, she draped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against his chest. He studied her eyes for a moment longer as he ran his finger through her hair. Then he gently picked her up, pressing his lips against hers once more. Arion wrapped her legs around him as he carried her across the room.

He sat her down on the edge of the bed, kissing her neck as he took her clothes off. She kicked her boots off, and he removed his as well. Obi-Wan kissed her bare shoulder as she pulled his tunic off, then his pants. With one strong arm, he held her tightly against himself as he pulled the blankets back and laid her down below him. Arion exhaled, barely aware that her breath carried his name out with it. Carefully, he came down on top of her, claiming her lips in his. She slipped her arms around him, running her fingers over his shoulder blades. Reaching back, Obi-Wan pulled the covers back over them, using the Force to turn off the lights.

* * *

Please Review!


	3. Chapter 2

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

* * *

Chapter Two: Dreams and Memory

* * *

Arion awoke to the sound of the desert wind howling between the canyon walls. The eerie, haunting groan surrounded the simple house, like some monster was waiting in the pitch black night just outside.

Rubbing her eyes, she rolled onto her back, casting a sideways glance at Obi-Wan. He was already awake, his arms folded behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Sensing that she was awake, he turned to face her, smiling contently as he stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. She grinned back, catching his hand in her own and playfully placing a kiss just below his knuckles.

"Come here," Obi-Wan chuckled, holding his arm out to her.

Arion scooted closer, leaning over him. She bent down and kissed him briefly as he enfolded her in his arms.

"Having trouble sleeping?" She asked, brushing his hair back.

"You have that effect on me," He smiled up at her.

"You flatter me too much, Obi-Wan…" She blushed, "I'd say it was that awful wind."

"That?" Obi-Wan shook his head, "I'm used to it. Is it bothering you?"

Arion just wrinkled her nose in response.

"Alright then," He laughed, "You make yourself comfortable right here, and I'll protect you from the big scary atmosphere."

"Don't make fun of me," Arion feigned annoyance as she settled in next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I am not," He teased her.

"Oh, yes you are…" She insisted lightheartedly, slowly stroking her hand back and forth across his chest.

"Ari, I would never make fun of you," He said softly, "Because I know you'd do horrible things to me."

"I'm going to do horrible things to you now if you don't stop that!"

"My apologies." He smiled crookedly, kissing her forehead.

"Apology accepted," Arion replied, "But only because I love you."

"Well, then I consider myself to be the luckiest man in the galaxy."

"In all the galaxies," She smirked. "Now, whatever happened to that whole 'protecting me' idea?"

"Just what I was thinking," Obi-Wan yawned, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "You take the first shift."

Arion laughed tiredly, closing her eyes.

"Goodnight, Obi-Wan."

* * *

_Anakin smoothly landed his Delta-7 starfighter behind Obi-Wan's, shutting down the engines before stepping out into the hanger to meet all of the military commanders and Jedi who had gathered for their arrival._

_"General Kenobi," He heard one Jedi address his Master with a bow, "It is good to see you again."_

_"Master Carrak." Obi-Wan bowed in return._

_"General, allow me to introduce you to all of our fine leaders who are commanding our people out here," Carrak continued, pointing out each individual. _

_Anakin, however, was not interested in hearing the who's-who of the Outer Rim. He had already decided that he hated it here._

_As the others rambled on and on, he got a good look around. The base was located on a mountainous planet called Arbra. The climate seemed agreeable enough, though Anakin had found from Obi-Wan's descriptions that it rained here a bit too much for his tastes._

_"We have a strong force positioned here, General," Carrak was saying as they began moving away from the ships, "When the Separatists get close enough to our system, we will strike quickly and effectively."_

_"That is good to hear," Obi-Wan replied, "I have no doubt that the upcoming mission will be nothing short of a success."_

_"Thank you, sir," One of the other commanders, whose name Anakin hadn't heard, chimed in. _

_"The briefing will begin in another hour," Carrak informed them, "In the meantime, I will arrange for someone to show you to your quarters. It has been a pleasure, General."_

_Anakin and Obi-Wan bowed to Master Carrack and the group split up. The two Jedi stayed behind and waited in a hallway just outside the hanger for their guide. They were only alone for a few seconds before Anakin noticed another Jedi approaching. She was tall and lean, and wore her long brown hair in a single braid that reached down to her waist. She was fair skinned, with vibrant purple eyes, and dark eyebrows that arched effortlessly over a dramatic fan of eyelashes._

_"General?" She snickered, making her way towards Obi-Wan, "Force, we're all doomed!"_

_"Arion," Obi-Wan smiled, reaching out and clasping hands with her. Anakin arched an eyebrow at his Master._

_"What brings you all the way out here, Obi-Wan?" She asked, setting a hand on his shoulder._

_"We heard that you were in need of some more Jedi wisdom," He laughed._

_"I've got more than enough, thank you," She retorted jokingly, sharing a smile with Obi-Wan._

_"Oh, so then you _must_ remember my former Apprentice, Anakin Skywalker." Obi-Wan motioned in Anakin's direction._

_"Of course I do, only he was much younger the last time I saw him." Arion said, holding out a hand to Anakin. "I am honored that our paths have crossed once again."_

_"Anakin, this is my good friend Arion Nu'Moor, you met her when Qui-Gon and I first took you to Coruscant."_

_"Arion…" Anakin pondered over the name for a moment as he shook the hand she'd offered, "Ah yes, I remember now. I thought you looked familiar. It is nice to see you again, Arion."_

_"Now, Anakin," She resumed, glancing over at Obi-Wan, "Be honest, just how much trouble have you had to get him out of over the years?"_

_"Not as much as I'm sure you already have," Anakin laughed, and Obi-Wan waved a warning finger at him._

_"My, have I got stories to tell you!" Arion grinned, taking a step backwards towards Obi-Wan._

_"I am looking forward to hearing them," Anakin replied._

_"You will do no such thing," Obi-Wan directed at both of them. Arion looked up at him, giving him a playful shove on the arm._

_Anakin chuckled to himself. This was a side of his Master that he rarely got the opportunity to see. It was life affirming, in a way, to see Obi-Wan actually enjoying the company of another being. And yet, the way Obi-Wan looked at her made Anakin felt a sudden pang of longing for Padmé._

_"General Kenobi," An advancing Clone addressed Obi-Wan, "I was told by Master Carrak to show you and Lieutenant Skywalker to your quarters."_

_"Oh yes, of course," Obi-Wan nodded._

_"If you'll just follow me, sir."_

_"I believe that would be my signal to make a graceful exit." Arion said, pulling back._

_"No, come with us," Obi-Wan attempted to persuade her, taking her arm and drawing her along with them. "You wouldn't mind, would you, Anakin?"_

_"Not at all," Anakin confirmed, "I'm still looking forward to those stories."_

_"Alright, what can it hurt?" She shrugged, following the other Jedi down the hall._

_"Possibly Obi-Wan's pride," Anakin joked, patting his Master on the shoulder._

_"And to think I only landed with one…" Obi-Wan muttered with a laugh._

_"Then you should be more careful, Master, or you'll end up picking up yet another old friend with stories to tell," Anakin humorously warned him._

_"What have I gotten myself into?" Obi-Wan sighed and shook his head, to the great amusement of both his companions.

* * *

_

_Anakin took his cloak off and sat down on the edge of the settee. The small room was darkened by the blinds he'd pulled down upon his entry. The apartment was not particularly elaborate; the walls were a muted blue-grey, and the simple furniture a worn-out beige color. But these things mattered not to Anakin, he and Obi-Wan would only be spending time here on occasion, and even then it would only be to get a decent night's sleep. Besides, despite its looks, it was a rather comfortable little place, and what else could possibly be of more importance to a Jedi?_

_The strain of the long journey was finally beginning to take its toll. After nearly two hours of conversing with Obi-Wan and Arion, he'd excused himself to one of the small bedrooms, wanting to lie down and clear his head before the briefing._

_He leaned back and closed his eyes, taking a deep, calming breath. He exhaled slowly, draping his good arm over his forehead. He could not get himself to stop thinking about Padmé. There was something about Arion's presence that was somehow reminiscent of her, but he couldn't quite seem to place it. It was such a wrench to be away from her, to not wake up by her side. He heaved a sigh, slipping closer towards a meditative state._

_Outside of the door, he could still hear the others talking. Without realizing it, he reached out with the Force, listening more closely to what they were saying._

_"What about Anakin?" Arion was whispering._

_"He's asleep, don't worry about it." Obi-Wan replied._

_Anakin heard the floor creek as Arion, judging by the sound of it, stepped in the general direction of Anakin's room. That made sense enough, they had all been sitting on separate couches, Obi-Wan's being the nearest to the bedroom._

_Then there was a muffled shuffling sound, he guessed Arion had sat down besides Obi-Wan. Anakin reached deeper, discerning not only their voices, but their movements as well. He still couldn't _see_ what they were doing in the traditional sense of the word, but he could sense it._

_Obi-Wan was laying against the back of the couch, with Arion resting against him. He had his arms around her._

_"This could be considered a rather compromising position." Arion remarked._

_"If anyone saw us, they would congratulate me on being in it with someone as beautiful as you."_

_"You shouldn't say such things, Obi-Wan."_

_"I know," He smiled._

_Arion wrinkled her nose, something Anakin took for silent laughter._

"_You, my friend, are impossible to cope with." She said._

_Obi-Wan kissed the top of her head, not bothering to counter her statement._

_Arion shifted her position, nuzzling closer against Obi-Wan's chest. Her eyes slid shut, and she let out a small sigh as he tightened his embrace._

_"But," She said softly, grinning to herself, "just because I can not stand you, doesn't mean that I didn't miss you."_

_"I must be a truly blest man, to have such a beautiful woman pining for me."_

_"You take yourself too seriously," She whispered to him._

_"Perhaps you don't take me seriously enough," He muttered back, lightly running his hand over her hair._

_"Obi-Wan…" She cautioned him._

_He heaved a sigh, and leaned his head against the back of the sofa, squeezing his own eyes shut. _

_Anakin withdrew his mind from the room. He knew he shouldn't have seen that, he was invading the privacy of his Master and dear friend. Never the less, he couldn't help but feel somewhat let down. There was something that Obi-Wan wasn't telling him._

_

* * *

_Please Review!


	4. Chapter 3

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

* * *

Chapter Three: Battle over Arbra

* * *

_"Our prime objective," The Commander was saying, "will be to capture the large Star Cruiser that will bring up the rear of the fleet, and holds all of the commands that will be sent out. If we are able to jam the communications systems, or destroy the main control center, the droids will either shut down, or become easy targets for elimination."_

_Anakin looked over at his Master, who was listening intently. Anakin rolled his eyes, the monotony of these missions were driving him insane. Every time the Republic faced a droid army, the objectives were always the same._

_"General Kenobi will be leading the group that will attempt a covert attack on the ship. You know who you are. The rest of you will stay in your squadrons, and follow your commanding officers into battle with the droids. The Separatist fleet is a relatively small force, and is not expecting an attack. This will play out to our advantage. However, the Star Cruiser is a well-manned, high security vessel. Their defense will be strong, but I believe that we have the might to over-power them. Good luck to all of you."_

_The Commander stepped down from his platform, and the hum of conversation rose up once again in the lecture hall. The three Jedi Knights rose, scuffling through the crowed aisles, working their way towards the main hanger. The whole base was packed full of Clone pilots, Jedi, and Clone marines, making it difficult to get through the corridors._

_"What do think about this mission?" Obi-Wan asked, guiding the other two Jedi more towards the side of the hall._

_"Sounds like fun." Arion raised her eyebrows._

_"I agree," Anakin smirked._

_"I'm glad to know that you're enjoying yourselves," Obi-Wan shook his head._

_Arion laughed, and then pushed ahead in the crowd._

_"There she goes…" Obi-Wan grumbled, grabbing onto Anakin's sleeve so as not to loose him as well._

_Anakin followed him closely, picking up the pace to keep up with Arion. At least they were moving faster than they had been at the rate Obi-Wan was taking them._

_They caught up with her as they reached the entrance to the hanger, which hosted a variety of fighters, including Jedi starfighters and ARC-170s. Here, the press of people finally relented, and they could all move more freely as they made their way over to their fighters._

_Anakin and Obi-Wan reached their destination first, but Arion still stopped with them. She paused there for a moment, before continuing on her way._

_"I'll see you on the Cruiser," She said, then turned only to Obi-Wan, "General." She bowed, then went to board her own ship._

_"Well," Anakin remarked before climbing into the cockpit, "She's… interesting."_

_"Get into your ship." Obi-Wan ordered defensively._

_"Yes, Master."_

_Casting one last glance Obi-Wan's way, Anakin jumped inside, fastening his safety harnesses and putting his headset on. R2 whistled excitedly as he started up the engines._

_"Ready, R2?" Anakin grinned smugly._

_The little astrodroid happily beeped a reply._

_"Very good." Anakin returned. He took up the landing gear and hovered in place as he waited for the signal to deploy._

_Within moments, a warning alarm blared. All of the mechanics got out of the way, and the last of the pilots boarded their ships._

_Anakin rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Taking a deep breath, he took the controls, tapping his thumbs impatiently._

_"All pilots clear the hanger," the order came over the speaker system at last, "all pilots clear the hanger."_

_"Here we go," Anakin pulled up, following the leaders out of the docking bay._

_Below him, the sprawling complex of the base became smaller as he rose, swallowed by the forests and mountains of Arbra's surface. Tall, brown peaks ascended skywards over the sea of green pine trees, piercing the very clouds Anakin flew through._

_The Delta-7's engines whined as he worked his way higher and higher, firing up the boosters to clear the atmosphere. The sensation was phenomenal, the feeling of his fighter struggling against the pull of gravity, then the sudden freedom from that pressure, floating freely through space._

_At last released from the atmosphere, Anakin switched his headset on, listening to the crackling voices that emerged from inside the other ships before he added his own._

_"Kenobi."_

_"Nu'Moor."_

_"Carrak."_

_"Skywalker."_

_"Arlin."_

_"Gunner."_

_"All present and accounted for." Obi-Wan announced, "Hold your current courses." _

_"Something just came out of Hyperspace, dead ahead." Carrak said. _

_"I see it…" Obi-Wan assured him._

_"What now, Master?" Anakin asked._

_"Keep steady…let the diversion force pass us."_

_"There they go." Arlin noted._

_Up ahead, the other fighters who had pulled ahead of the small force were met by the droid fleet. Both parties opened fire in a shower of brightly colored lasers and vivid, flaming explosions._

_"And here we go," Obi-Wan remarked, picking up speed._

_"Yes, sir!" Arion exclaimed._

_"May the Force be with us," Obi-Wan stated solemnly._

_Anakin pursued his Master, pulling up just behind him. The others trailed Anakin, spreading out both above and below him. As they came closer to the massive Star Cruiser, a small cluster of droids broke off from the battle, closing in on them from the front._

_"They're coming," Gunner alerted._

_"Shields up," Obi-Wan commanded._

_"My defense system is jammed…" Carrak grumbled, and in the background of the transmission Anakin heard him throwing switches and giving orders to his droid. _

_"They're closing in fast, hurry up, Carrak!" Arlin warned the other Jedi Knight._

_"I'm working as fast as I can," Carrak replied._

_"Look out!" Arion shouted as the droids began to fire upon their ships._

_The screeching of laser fire echoed in Anakin's cockpit. Pulling away from his Master, he returned fire as the two factions collided. Just overhead, there was a loud blast, and Anakin dove his ship downwards to avoid the flying debris._

_"We've lost Carrak!" Arion's voice came through the headset._

_"General, more are leaving the main force," Arlin said._

_"Some of ours are in pursuit; they won't be able to overwhelm us." Obi-Wan stated calmly._

_"We're gaining on the Cruiser, just hang in there," Anakin assured his companions._

_There was laser fire everywhere. Anakin could see the others dodging and fighting, always working their way towards the Cruiser. _

_"I can't get one off my tail!" Arlin called out in frustration. Anakin looked over to his right, and sure enough, Arlin was being chased by a droid craft, taking heavy fire._

_"I'm on my way," Anakin told him, maneuvering around to get behind the enemy fighter. The droid continued to fire on Arlin, who took a hit to one of his wings, then another. Anakin shot at their adversary, trying to end the torrent of lasers being launched at his fellow Jedi._

_He heard Arlin cry out as his ship took another hit, and he lost control of the craft all together. Too late, Anakin fired the blasts that brought down the trailing droid. Arlin spun out, crashing into another enemy fighter, blasting them both into nothingness._

_Behind him, Gunner was taking on heavy fire as well._

_"I'm loosing my controls," His voice rang over the headset, "I'm going to try to land on the Star Cruiser."_

_The fighter swerved and bucked as Gunner continued to fight his way to the hanger. Smoke billowed from one of his rear engines, mapping out his spiraling course. For an instant, it looked like he was going to make it. But the small fighter just didn't have enough left in it, and he crashed right into one of the gun turrets that was mounted by the entrance._

_"Looks like it's just you and me, boys," Arion sighed, shooting down a droid._

_"Hang back, we've got to get the fighters that are still left off of our trail before we try to take the Cruiser." Obi-Wan instructed. _

_"Blast it, I've got two tailing me right now," Arion cursed, diving into a downward spiral._

_"Pull up, Ari, we can cover you!" Obi-Wan shouted._

_"I've got it under control."_

_"Pull up, Ari!"_

_"She knows what she's doing, Master." Anakin interjected, "Besides, we've got our own problems to deal with."_

_There was only a sulking silence from Obi-Wan as he opened fire on another fighter, hitting one of its engines and blowing up the entire craft._

_Below them, Arion was still trying to pull away from the droids, who had begun to spin crazily after her. Without a warning, she suddenly evened out her fighter, disorienting the droids and causing them to slam into one another in a fiery blast. Soaring upwards once more, Arion barely managed to escape being hit by the flying wreckage._

_"How you holding up over there, Anakin?" She asked when she leveled out once again._

_"I'm alright," Anakin answered with a smile, taking out an approaching fighter._

_"Let's see if we can't do something about that." _

_"Ready when you are."_

_"Then let's land these things and get to the real action." Arion said, making her way towards the Star Cruiser._

_"I'm right behind you." Anakin affirmed._

_"I may as well make it a party." Obi-Wan's voice once again sounded over Anakin's headset._

_"I told you this would be fun," Arion asserted._

_Anakin laughed, following the two older Jedi towards the Cruiser. There was still another remaining turret, which began to fire on them as they got closer._

_"Homing rockets," Obi-Wan directed, and all three barraged the tower with their most powerful shots._

_"We got it," Anakin acknowledged._

_"Landing gear out, prepare to board." Obi-Wan dictated._

_Before anyone on the ship could do anything to stop them, they passed through the weak shield guarding the hanger, and easily landed their fighters inside._

_"Out we go, R2." Anakin said as he climbed out of the cockpit. Next to him, Arion and Obi-Wan emerged from their ships as well._

_"We've got company," Arion warned, noting the gathering assemblage of battle droids. She powered up her lightsaber, and Anakin did the same._

_"Blast them." The metallic voice of one of the droids commanded._

_"Roger, roger." They opened fire. The three Jedi easily deflected the beams, Obi-Wan and Anakin's blue sabers flashing together as the former Master and Apprentice team worked jointly to eliminate the enemy. On the other side, Arion's lightsaber glowed like a pillar of fire as she cut down the droids in her path._

_"Let's hurry up and get out of here before they send reinforcements." She called over to them as the last of the droids fell, and they all powered down their sabers._

_"R2, jam their outgoing communications system," Obi-Wan said, making his way towards the elevators and not waiting to see if R2 found the outlet. Anakin was quick to go along with his Master, but Arion paused to pick up the blaster of a defeated droid before she followed him._

_"And while you're at it," Anakin added, "see if you can deactivate the droids."_

_Having already located the socket he needed, R2 beeped and whistled at his success with the communications system, but dropped his signal to a low drone at the mention of the droids._

_"What do you mean it's on manual override?" Anakin asked, astonished._

_R2 bleeped back urgently._

_"So where is this control room?" Obi-Wan inquired._

_While R2 gave directions, Arion was hurriedly pressing elevator buttons, frustrated when she found that they were all jammed. Suddenly R2 whooped again, delivering the news she had hope against hope not hear; the Cruiser was going into lockdown._

_"I swear to-" Anakin stopped himself, trying to calm down._

_"I'll tell you what," Arion fumed, storming past them and heading down an empty corridor, "I'm going to give them a lockdown they'll never forget."_

_Exchanging a feeble glance, Obi-Wan and Anakin followed her, lightsabers at the ready. The three Jedi advanced down the hall, and were approaching a corner when Arion stopped them._

_"Hush," She held a hand up, "do you hear that?"_

_"More droids." Anakin said exasperatedly._

_"Great." Obi-Wan quipped._

_"Oh, and one more thing…" Arion cocked the blaster, firing it at a small black box mounted in the corner between the two intersecting walls and the ceiling._

"_Holorecorder," She muttered, putting down the gun and activating her lightsaber. Holding the weapon high above her head, she cut hole into an exposed ventilation shaft. The extra metal fell away, and she hooked her lightsaber back onto her belt, grabbed the blaster, and jumped up into the duct._

"_What are you doing?" Anakin asked._

"_Shortcut," She answered simply, sticking her head down through the opening._

_Obi-Wan shrugged, then leapt up after her, and Anakin did the same, using the Force to lift the metal she'd cut out off the floor and into the inside of the vent. Droids, not being very bright, wouldn't think to look up if nothing out of place prompted them to, and without the observation holocam operational, no one in the control room would be able to tell where they went._

_They crawled through the cramped tunnel, Arion in the lead, blaster ready. Following the route that Obi-Wan pointed out to her, they eventually reached the end of the vent. There was a filtration screen over the opening, which overlooked the control room._

"_Back up," Arion whispered, bending her body into the most compact form she could, managing to turn around and kick the partition out. She carefully slid forward, and then dropped to the floor._

_A confused Separatist, of the Trade Federation variety, turned around to see them enter the room. Alarmed, he reached out and began hitting buttons, and sounding a distress signal. Stepping forward, Arion shot him in the face with her blaster, waiting a moment for all the burnt shreds of flesh and shards of skull to settle on the floor and walls, then let off several more shots, damaging all the security and communications devices in the small room. The alarm shut off._

_Anakin pushed the body out of its chair, and sat down, trying to make sense of the technological configuration in front of him._

"_Don't lean back," Arion cautioned him, and Anakin turned around to see the splatter of brains on the high back of the chair._

"_Thanks for the warning."_

"_Do you think you can figure this thing out?" Obi-Wan questioned him. _

"_I believe so."_

_Arion and Obi-Wan shared a concerned look, but stayed quiet as Anakin tended to his task. It was a system he wasn't familiar with, but if there was one thing he'd learned over the years, it was that pulling a lever down always meant 'off'. He pulled a few, and the sound of several generators shutting down and cooling came from the engine room, which Anakin guessed was behind one of the three doors leading out of the room._

_Obi-Wan pulled out a comlink, speaking clearly into the microphone; "R2, what changes are you reading from the central computer?"_

_R2 beeped several things back, and Obi-Wan shook his head at Anakin, indicating that he had not yet accomplished his goal._

"_Well, their shield is down, and you've disabled the back-up thrusters," Obi-Wan sighed, taking a few steps back, and Arion leaned up against the control board._

_With an annoyed expression on his face, Anakin went back to work, using the Force to guide him as he pressed several promising looking buttons._

"_I've almost got it…" He articulated, pulling up another screen on one of the monitors._

_Just then, the ship lurched and Arion to lost her balance. Obi-Wan reached forward, catching her around her waist._

"_What was that?" She asked, regaining her footing. Obi-Wan removed only one arm from about her, once more addressing R2 through the comlink._

"_The ship took a hit from one of our fighters. Don't worry, it didn't do a lot of damage, but I'd still appreciate if you hurried it up a bit, Anakin."_

"_I'm doing the best I can, Master," He said calmly. He was definitely in the program that controlled the droids now. A few buttons later, a diagram of the fleet popped up on the monitor._

"_There we go…" Arion smiled, looking up at Obi-Wan, who was still holding onto her from behind._

_The screen blinked from blue to yellow several time, and the illustration disappeared. R2 whistled from the other end of the comlink connection. Anakin let out a sigh of relief, resting his arm against the edge of the control board._

"_They're as good as junk metal out there." Obi-Wan grinned, and Arion spun around, throwing her arms around his neck._

"_Let's make sure they stay that way," Anakin said._

_He held the base of his lightsaber against the monitor, and powered up the beam, which sliced cleanly into the depths of the controls. Sparks flew from the sizzling wires as he pulled the saber out, and then shut it off once again._

_Suddenly, the sound of laser fire erupted on the other side of one of the doors. The shots melted dents into the heavy metal door, the rapid fire quickly distorting its shape and warping it inwards, towards the three Jedi._

_Anakin cursed to himself, leaping to his feet and rushing over to the vent, jumping back into the open duct after Arion and Obi-Wan. He lifted the grate off the floor, and replaced it over the aperture. They clambered through the tiny space, going back the way they'd come._

_They didn't get far before blast shots came up through the vents, centimeters away from Arion's face. She jumped back, landing on top of Obi-Wan, who in turn fell onto Anakin._

"_Well, that was a brilliant display of Jedi grace," Anakin grunted from the bottom of the pile._

"_How did they figure out we were in here?" Arion gasped in disbelief. _

_More shots were fired, once again barely missing Arion._

"_Go, go, go!" She cried, pushing them back towards the control room._

"_Where?"_

"_Up there," Obi-Wan pointed out a shaft that went straight up, and then branched off to the right. It was only a meter away._

_Anakin, who was now in the lead, scrambled towards it, easily making the jump onto the higher level. He kept moving as he heard Obi-Wan pull himself up behind him, and then Arion doing the same._

"_I hate vents," Anakin panted, frantically scrambling over the smooth surface._

_For a moment, the shots stopped. The Jedi halted, out of breath. Below them, there was a clanking sound, followed shortly by the screech of an opening blast door. Obi-Wan put a finger up to his lips, motioning for them to keep as quiet as they could._

_In the room beneath the vent, they heard the mechanized footsteps of battle droids, and the clacking roll of destroyers. Anakin closed his eyes, swallowing hard. He was sitting right on top of another filtration screen._

"_Spread out, they're here somewhere." One droid said._

"_Yes Sir." Another replied._

_The droids moved off, and Arion released the breath she had been holding. Anakin looked back at his Master, not wanting to move without his okay. Obi-Wan nodded, waving him on. He carefully leaned forward, lifting his arm off of the panel, and working his way back into a crawling position. Just as his knee hit the gap, the divider cracked and gave way, and he fell to the floor._

"_Anakin!" Obi-Wan yelled, jumping after him._

_Anakin hit the ground hard, rolling for a short distance before ending up on his back. He sat up, dazed and aching all over. Obi-Wan was quickly at his side, but he couldn't see Arion anywhere. Looking around, he saw that they were in the ship's engine room. All around them were massive generators, maintenance causeways that twisted around the giant structures, soaring over their heads and intersecting at peculiar angles like a giant web of warped metal. Pipes were entwined with each other, running snaking courses through the air. The entire silvery mess glistened brilliantly in the clear lighting._

"_On your feet, Jedi scum." A droid ordered, shoving its blaster in their faces._

_Obi-Wan carefully pulled Anakin into a standing position, supporting him until he kept his footing on his own._

_A ring of battle droids had formed around them, slowly tightening the perimeter around the captive Jedi. All had their guns raised, ready to fire at a moment's notice._

"_Surrender now, or be exterminated." The droid buzzed again._

_Obi-Wan didn't budge. _

"_Last chance, Jedi." It warned, jabbing his weapon at them._

_Anakin looked over at his Master. Obi-Wan wasn't paying any mind to their adversary, in fact, he looked right back at Anakin with a bored expression._

_Suddenly, there was a blazing yellow flash, and the droid's head fell to the floor. The decapitated body collapsed after it, and Arion stood where the battle droid once had, lightsaber ready, and grinning smugly, like she was the one who surrounded her enemy, and not the other way around._

"_Blast them!" A second droid demanded._

_Just as quickly as the order went out, the Jedi sprang into action, neatly slicing their opponents in half, and blocking laser blasts. A few beeped as Obi-Wan Force-pushed them back, smashing them into the side of a nearby reactor. _

"_Well, that was easy," Arion jested, powering down her saber._

"_You spoke too soon…" Anakin corrected her, pointing to the open blast doors. Two metallic spheres spun towards them, the destroyer droids that they had heard earlier._

"_Droidekas!" Obi-Wan spat, falling back into a defensive stance._

"_Follow me, I've got a plan!" Arion said, running deeper into the engine room. They ducked behind a huge generator, and the droids rolled after them._

"_Alright," She continued quietly, "We run across to the next reactor. Let them see us. When you get behind it, jump up onto one of the catwalks. When they open out, jump down behind them, and run. I'll worry about the rest."_

_Anakin nodded, but Obi-Wan looked at her critically. It appeared to Anakin as if the high and mighty General Kenobi was having more trouble taking orders from his underlings than giving them._

"_What exactly do you plan to do?" Obi-Wan inquired._

"_You'll see," Arion replied, grabbing Anakin by the sleeve and darting off._

"_I've got a bad feeling about this…" He mumbled, and then took off after Arion and Anakin._

_Just as Arion had planned, the destroyers changed course to follow them. When Anakin was sure they were out of sight, he jumped up onto a ramp behind another one of the colossal structures. The others followed. Looking down, he saw the destroyer droids unfold themselves, activating their shields as they searched for the missing Jedi._

_Signaling to Obi-Wan, he leapt downward, landing on the other side of the destroyers. The two Jedi took off running as fast as they could, hoping that Arion knew what she was doing._

_They heard a few blasts, then the clanking of the broken droids falling to the floor. Wheeling around, Anakin saw Arion hanging upside down from one of the lower pipes with her knees, blaster in hand. He grinned smugly as he realized what her plan had been. To turn around and chase the two fleeing Jedi, the droidekas would have had to take their shields down, leaving them susceptible – if only for a few seconds – to some well-placed blaster fire from above._

"_Very clever," Anakin remarked approvingly._

_Obi-Wan rushed over to Arion, taking the gun and handing it to Anakin as she swung up to get a grip on the pipe, then slowly lowered herself down feet first into his waiting arms._

"_Why, Obi-Wan," She said jokingly, "if you wanted to sweep me off my feet, you could have just said so."_

_He smiled at her, carefully setting her down. Anakin passed Arion her blaster, giving her, and his Master, a quizzical look. Arion took the weapon and noted his stare, then reverted back into a more serious demeanor._

"_Now, let's get out of here, I'm sick of this place." She muttered, heading out the blast doors._

_

* * *

_Please Review! 


	5. Chapter 4

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

* * *

Chapter Four: Beginnings and Endings

* * *

"_This is General Kenobi. My group has achieved our objectives, and has vacated the Cruiser. You are clear to open fire."_

_It was exceptionally pleasant, Anakin thought, to finally hear his Master say those words. They were coasting easily through space; it was now the others' job to finish off the enemy ship._

"_Another day, another Separatist foiled." He heard Arion say happily over the headset; her dark disposition lifting as they flew away from the blasted vessel._

"_What time is it down on Arbra?" Anakin asked, switching on his autopilot._

"_I'd say around early evening." Obi-Wan answered him._

"_I am looking forward to having my feet planted firmly on the ground again." Arion added with a sigh._

"_I second that." Obi-Wan chuckled, "What would you say to having your feet firmly planted next to mine for a few moments before dinner?"_

"_I'd say that sounds lovely."_

"_Hey, cut it out over there," Anakin interrupted teasingly, "or am I going to have to report two particular Jedi Knights to the Council?"_

"_Now, Anakin," Obi-Wan reprimanded him lightheartedly, "there's nothing wrong with inviting a respectable friend, who merely happens to be female, to join you for a nice conversation before a meal."_

"_It's what happens _after_ your nice conversation that I'm worried about." He snickered._

"_Anakin…" Obi-Wan scolded._

"_Sorry, Master. I did not mean to offend anyone."_

"_No offense taken, Anakin." Arion reassured him._

_Anakin turned around the best he could in the small cockpit, trying to get a glimpse of the fight still going on behind them. He was tired, but there was still something inside him that craved the action of flying through the aerial skirmish. His own piloting experience that day had been far too brief for his liking._

_He sighed, letting his mind wander to other things. He silently traversed whatever paths of though and fancy that he happened upon, not caring to listen to the conversation still transpiring over the headset. Mostly, he thought of Padmé, about the long stretch of seemingly endless days set before him in a place without her. The future suddenly seemed a vast, empty thing, devoid of her presence to light up the dark places inside his heart. No, there would nothing for him out here; nothing but his Master, who, at the moment, appeared to be more interested in his old friend than with Anakin. He had his doubts about that relationship. However, Anakin could learn to keep to his own affairs, if Obi-Wan just stayed out of his._

"_Anakin? Anakin?" Obi-Wan's voice disrupted his concentration._

"_Yes, Master?"_

"_Stop brooding and join the conversation, Anakin. I can sense your discontent from all the way over here."_

"_I apologize, Master," Anakin said, leaning back in his seat, and resigning himself to entering a discussion that he was sure would have gone on just fine without him.

* * *

_

Arion yawned, squinting her eyes in the morning light. As she stretched, her hand fell lightly on the empty space in bed beside her. She wondered where Obi-Wan had gone, and how he'd managed to leave without waking her. As she became more alert, she could hear the sound of running water, and sensed Obi-Wan presence on the other side of the door.

"Now, that would be the intelligent thing to do," She mumbled to herself, feeling like she was in desperate need of a shower as well.

She turned over onto her stomach, pulling the blankets closer around her. Instead of trying to fall back asleep, she took in the sight of the room around her. Their clothes from last night were strewn across the floor, the last of the articles they'd removed lying in a crumpled heap on the floor next to the bed. Without Obi-Wan, the scene looked somehow artificial, like she'd dreamed the entire night up.

For such an early hour, the temperature was already soaring. She could only take the feeling of the covers tightly enfolding her for a few minutes before the heat became unbearable. She pushed most of them away, keeping only the thinnest sheet over her as she waited for Obi-Wan to finish with the fresher.

Arion rolled back onto her side when she heard the fresher door opening, and smiled at Obi-Wan when he came through wearing only a towel secured loosely around his waist.

"Hello there," he said as he tousled his wet hair, trying to get the excess moisture out.

"Hello to you, too," She replied, watching him attentively as he opened up a compartment in the storage unit closest to the bed.

"Are you going to be staring at me all morning, or is it more of a 'because I'm wet' thing?" Obi-Wan teased her, taking out a change of clothes.

"I just like seeing you naked," Arion laughed, giving his towel a good tug.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should," She declared, sitting up and discarding the last of the bed sheets.

"Ah, but who's the one with the exceptional view, now?" Obi-Wan asked while he pulled on his trousers.

"It's still me."

Obi-Wan grinned at Arion's humor, tossing his towel at her. She wrapped it around herself and got out of the bed, heading for the fresher.

"Do you want to show me how it works?" She requested suggestively, pausing in the doorway.

"I think I already did that."

"I'm a slow learner," She smirked, stepping aside for him.

"On," He pulled at a handle, "And off. It's a chemical substitute for water, so it's going to smell funny at first."

"Thank you."

"Now, I'm going to take a wild guess," He considered, leaning against the wall, "say you got out here on a speeder, and ask you where it is right now."

"Owen has it."

"Oh…Owen," Obi-Wan pretended to act indignant, placing his hands on her hips, "I see how it is."

"Don't worry, Obi-Wan, you're still my favorite," Arion taunted him.

"I'd better be…" He whispered smugly, leaning in and kissing her.

She kissed him back, happy to re-assure herself that she wasn't dreaming anymore. He released her lips, resting his forehead against hers.

"Alright," Obi-Wan said softly, "I'm going to go get your speeder back. Do you need anything else before I leave?"

Without another word, she drew him in for a second kiss, which lasted even longer than its predecessor.

"I'll be back soon," He withdrew at length, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Arion sighed impatiently. She'd gotten out of the shower to find the room tidied, the sheets changed, and Obi-Wan still away, leaving her with absolutely nothing to do. She'd already had time to get dressed, let her hair dry completely, and still she found herself waiting. Arion soon came to find that she disliked lingering in the small house without Obi-Wan more than she'd expected. His absence was like a poison slowly eating away at her, provoking the feeling that she'd dreamt the whole night up.

She sat down at the kitchen table, twirling the ends of her hair between her fingers. She wore it down that day, not bothering to style her straight, brunette locks. Her hair wasn't the only thing she'd changed since yesterday. Instead of changing into a spare set of her old Jedi garments, Arion had instead put on a dark blue sleeveless dress, which was made of much lighter material and was more tolerable under the heat of Tatooine's twin suns. It was rather simple, low cut and floor-length, with corseting work that came together with velvety ties in the front. It was one of the first articles of clothing she'd picked up when she had been trying to conceal her identity as a Jedi Knight.

Giving up on twisting her hair around her fingers, she absently reached towards her neck, her fingers searching out something new to occupy them. For a moment she was startled to find nothing under her fingertips but her own skin. She felt a twinge of panic rising in her chest at the thought that she'd lost the precious gift, but it only lasted an instant. She realized where she'd left her necklace and rose to locate it, the alarm she'd felt fading away like the fear from a nightmare slowly disappearing after one has been jolted awake.

Obi-Wan had folded up her dirty clothes, tucking them away with his in a storage bin just outside of the fresher. Her utility belt, however, he had taken from the floor, and placed on the counter on the other side of the door from where Arion now stood. Going over to it, she carefully lifted the belt off the ledge, seeking out the correct pocket. Her fingers momentarily grazed over the solid hilt of her lightsaber, sending slight tremors of guilt through her body, as if to remind Arion of her betrayal of the Jedi Order. The feeling only worsened when she produced the object she had been looking for. She shrugged it off, at the moment unconcerned, although certainly not unaffected, by the sentiment.

Arion smiled quietly to herself, rubbing her thumb against the familiar silver charm before securing the black string around her neck. It was only a small thing, a present she'd received years ago, but the thought of losing it was unbearable. Throughout her many years as a Jedi, she'd carried it in that little pouch, afraid that one of the Masters might see it if she wore it or hid it elsewhere. Personal possessions like jewelry were looked down upon by the Jedi, and she would have had a lengthy lecture to look forward to, at the very least.

However, these things mattered not to her anymore, Arion mused as she went to sit back down. There was no one here to punish her now, she reassured herself – though the sense of freedom one might expect to associate with that phrase never came.

Soon, she heard the distant whine of a speeder, but not before her senses alerted her to Obi-Wan's presence. He'd taken a circuitous route through the canyon in order to park her speeder behind the house, which explained his extended absence.

Arion stood up when he walked through the door, stepping forward and planting a kiss on his cheek.

"We meet again," Obi-Wan grinned, taking both of her hands in his. He whistled admiringly as he took in her appearance; with the exception of one occasion, he'd only ever seen her in plain Jedi clothing.

"What took you so long?" She asked innocently, ignoring his gawking.

"I took the long way around," He answered, releasing one of her hands and reaching up to touch her necklace, the small green gem in the center of which glistened pleasantly in the sunlight.

"I remember when I gave you this," He smiled, carefully lifting the charm away from her neck, "I thought Master Raken made you get rid of it."

"So did she," Arion smirked, "But I hid it in a pocket of my belt."

"You are something else, you know that?" Obi-Wan replied with a smile, replacing the necklace.

"Well…" She laughed, pausing for a moment to look thoughtful, and Obi-Wan used the opportunity to kiss her before she could finish her assertion.

"What was that for?" She inquired.

"I missed you," He shrugged, wrapping his arms around her.

She grinned and rolled her eyes, then rested her forehead against his.

"Of course you did," She mimicked his statement from the night before.

* * *

The day passed faster than Arion thought it would. It was late afternoon already; the sky was bathed in orangey light, and the temperature was finally declining to reasonable warmth. She'd spent most of the afternoon outside, following Obi-Wan through the narrow passages of the gorge behind the house, hiding from the hot suns in small caves or in the shadows of more fallen boulders they found along the way. At times, they sat and rested their limbs, and Arion would pensively sift the rough, grainy sand through her fingers as they recalled their days on Coruscant. When evening began to fall, they went back to the house.

Arion used a small sink in the kitchen center to wash her dusty hands, and then slowly made her way towards the window on the opposite wall. She leaned against the counter, resting her forearms on the ledge.

Several moments later, Obi-Wan came up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist.

"What are you looking at?" He asked, touching his face to hers.

"Nothing in particular… the way the sunlight paints the whole desert gold," She whispered back. He gently ran one of his hands up and down her arm, kissing her cheek.

"They have beautiful sunsets here," He remarked quietly.

"I suppose there must be something pleasant about every planet."

Obi-Wan smiled affectionately, brushing the tip of his nose over her soft skin.

She turned her head, meeting his lips with her own.

"Come on," Obi-Wan said, taking her by the hand and leading her towards the door, "Let's go watch one of those sunsets before we start dinner."

"But we just got back in," She protested.

"It'll only take a few minutes. We'll be back inside before you know it."

"You're not going to make this a habit, are you?" She inquired.

"Make what a habit?" He asked, letting go of her hand.

"Spending all this time outdoors." She replied, lingering in the open doorway as he continued on.

"Well, what's wrong with that?"

"It's so hot and dry!" She called after him, "And the sand gets everywhere!"

"You'll get used to it," He paused, waiting for her to catch up.

"I guess it's not like I have a choice."

"No, I guess not," Obi-Wan laughed softly, and Arion hurried after him, trying her best to keep the hem of her dress from dragging in the reddish-brown dust. Overhead, the pallid hue of the sky swept majestically over the claret landscape, the vast emptiness of the place filled only by the jagged canyon and the wispy clouds that retained a fantastic fiery hue from the glow of the sinking suns. Obi-Wan was already looking out at the duel sunset, his face bathed in amber light. The breeze tousled his sandy-colored hair in a way that made it look almost like fire in the orangey radiance of dusk. Arion smiled to herself, taking several steps towards the edge of the plateau before letting her dress fall to its full length once more.

"I admit it," She murmured as she took in the scene before her, slipping an arm around his shoulders, "This is one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen."

"Good, because I was just talking with our lovely neighbors the Lars family this morning, and they've decided that they like you and that I may keep you."

"Well, at least I have the approval of the locals," Arion laughed.

"And," Obi-Wan continued, "They'd like to have us over for dinner next week."

"Oh really?" She replied absently, leaning in and kissing his neck.

"Really," He whispered into her ear.

"Sounds lovely," She sighed contentedly, then rested her cheek against his shoulder, turning her gaze back to the horizon.

* * *

Please Review! 


	6. Chapter 5

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

* * *

Chapter Five: The Trials

* * *

_"Master, I worry that your dedication to this boy is blinding you to other important matters," Obi-Wan said as the doors to the Council chamber slid shut behind them. They were on their way to find Anakin, so that the Council could have him tested, something Qui-Gon had insisted upon. Obi-Wan, however, had his doubts about the whole situation, and, in truth, held firm to his belief that the boy was simply too old to begin training._

_"Don't be troubled over this matter, Obi-Wan. I assure you that I have everything completely under control," His Master replied confidently, making his way down the curved hall, towards the elevator. _

_"I'm afraid that I do not find our position to be as uncomplicated as you do."_

_"Perhaps that is because you are not confident in my abilities?" Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow at his Padawan._

_"No, Master, that is not what I meant to say," Obi-Wan sighed. _

_"Well, then there shouldn't be a conflict. Besides, if I err in my judgments and there's damage that needs to be mended, isn't that what I have you to for?" Qui-Gon smiled, patting Obi-Wan on the shoulder._

_Obi-Wan just shook his head at his Master's odd sense of humor. He'd been Qui-Gon's Apprentice for over a decade now, and he was still trying to figure the man out._

_He glanced out the window, briefly taking in the sight of the bustling city outside. Allowing himself to drop his guard for the time being, Obi-Wan failed to notice the second set of footfalls sounding from around the bend. It was not until he returned his attention to the corridor in front of him that he became aware of the two, very familiar, Jedi in front of him._

"_Obi-Wan!" Arion called out, practically jumping into his arms._

"_Hello, Ari," He caught his breath, staggering backwards from the sudden impact._

_Beside him, Qui-Gon cleared his throat, signaling for Obi-Wan to address the older Jedi who had been walking with Arion._

"_Master Raken," He bowed, disentangling himself from Arion._

"_Obi-Wan," She nodded, glaring at her Padawan in turn._

"_Hello, Master Qui-Gon," Arion grinned, stepping backwards to stand next to Obi-Wan once more._

"_Arion," Qui-Gon returned her polite smile, then turned to the other Jedi Master, "Master Ny'iita," He dipped his head, "how have you been?"_

"_My Padawan here has run me far too ragged for formalities as of late, Qui-Gon," She said, "you know you can just call me Ny, even in such close proximity to the Jedi Council."_

"_Alright, Ny," Qui-Gon laughed, putting a hand on her arm, "what brings the two of you all the way up here?"_

"_I finished the last of my Trials this morning," Arion stated proudly, "the Council is to give their decision on my possible transition to the rank of Jedi Knight this afternoon."_

"_You've taken the Trials?" Obi-Wan asked his friend in disbelief, and she nodded back a confident yes._

"_We're on our way to see the Council now," Ny'iita continued, "They wish to have a final word with me before I bring Arion before them."_

"_Well, then we would hate to hold you up," Qui-Gon asserted, gesturing for Ny'iita and Arion to move along. "Obi-Wan, you and I have business to attend to."_

"_Master?" Obi-Wan asked, cautiously taking the hand Arion slipped into his own, "I was wondering if I could perhaps stay with Arion while she waits to be called in by the Council."_

_Qui-Gon and Ny'iita exchanged a look of mild concern, but silently decided not to press the issue. The incident they were both thinking of had occurred several years ago; nothing they felt should be agonized over now._

"_If it is alright with Master Raken, then yes, you may." He said plainly, and Ny'iita nodded an affirmation._

"_Thank you, Master!" Both Padawans exclaimed almost simultaneously._

"_Obi-Wan, I'll meet you downstairs in a few moments, then we'll both go retrieve Anakin," Qui-Gon instructed._

"_Yes, Master." He nodded._

"_Ny'iita," Qui-Gon acknowledged, both Masters bowing to each other._

"_I'll see you inside," Ny'iita said quietly to her Padawan before turning to leave._

"_Arion," Qui-Gon began, placing both his hands on her shoulders. Obi-Wan released her hand and stepped back, patiently waiting for his Master to finish speaking to her, "know that my thoughts, as well as Obi-Wan's, are with you, and that whatever decision the Council makes, it will be in your best interest."_

"_Thank you, Master," Arion smiled softly._

"_May the Force be with you." Qui-Gon said, giving the young Padawan a fatherly hug. Obi-Wan felt a twinge of jealousy spark within him, but he managed to quell it before his Master sensed the emotion in him._

_Stepping back, both Padawans bowed to the remaining Jedi Master before he too continued on his way down the hall and boarded the lift to the lower floors._

_At almost the same moment as the lift doors closed behind his Master, Obi-Wan reached out and lifted Arion off of her feet, spinning her around as he held her in a tight embrace._

"_Hello there," He smiled down on her as he set her back on her feet._

"_Hello to you too." She giggled, throwing her arms around his neck._

"_My Ari…" He whispered, gently tugging on the long braid that hung down from behind her right ear, "all grown up… and about to be a real Jedi Knight."_

"_And all before you!" Arion teased him, wrinkling her nose._

_Obi-Wan laughed, pulling her close once again. Despite his appearance of happiness -- and he really was happy for her -- there was still something inside that tugged at his heart. Somehow, he didn't want her to grow up. There she was in front of him; looking so much like the same Arion she'd been the last time he'd seen her. Her dark brown hair was still pulled up in a messy bun on top of her head, with only her braid left out to fall over her shoulder. She still wore the same manila colored robes and light brown cloak, all scarcely too large for her thin frame. She was so young, he pondered, to become a Jedi Knight. He wished they could stay Padawan learners, even if for just a little while longer, delaying the inevitable time when he could no longer hold on to her the way he wanted to, the time when they would really have to abide by their decisions to become Jedi Knights… forever. Suddenly, Obi-Wan wasn't so sure this is what he truly wanted._

"_Come on, Obi!" She broke away from him, oblivious to his hidden thoughts. She took his arm, pulling him towards the Council Chamber, "Let's wait outside, I'm sure they won't be long."_

"_Alright, alright," He followed her, trying to forget his own worries._

_They arrived back at the large sliding doors, and Arion smiled up at him timidly._

"_Are you nervous?" He asked._

"_Only a little," She admitted, twisting her braid around her index finger, "but not about their decision. I'm just not sure about what happens… after."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I don't know, I was just wondering how I could," She paused, searching for the right words, "Start over."_

"_Well, you won't be doing it alone, I promise you."_

"_You promise a lot of things, Obi-Wan."_

"_Only to pretty girls," He smirked, wrapping his arms around her._

"_And you talk too much," She grinned, resting her head on his shoulder._

"_I know," Obi-Wan said plainly as he felt her arms encircle his waist. _

_He carefully rubbed his hand over her back, waiting out those last tense moments with her in silence. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, sensing her quiet smile._

_At that moment, he no longer cared if the entire Jedi Council walked through those doors and saw them like this. All he could think was that he was, in someway, only seconds away from loosing her, and that he didn't want to._

_Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan stepped back, and rested his hands on her arms. He looked down into her shining purple eyes, studying their depths._

"_Arion-" He started, but his voice caught in his throat._

_Obi-Wan wanted -- no, needed -- to say something so badly, but before he could get himself together, the door next to them slid open, and Ny'iita stepped out._

"_May the Force be with you," He managed instead, giving her a friendly smile before he gave Ny a respectful bow._

_He glanced back at her one last time while he turned to leave, catching her eyes for an instant as she entered the Council Chamber. He was never sure of it, but Obi-Wan thought that he saw a trace of remorse in her gaze. But the door closed quickly behind her, and Qui-Gon was waiting for him downstairs.

* * *

_

"_How much longer?" Anakin asked impatiently, looking up at Qui-Gon with a despondent look on his face._

_Obi-Wan couldn't help but roll his eyes. Of course the ride on the elevator was taking a long time, but was it really necessary for the boy to whine about it? Did he honestly expect to arrive at the very top of one of the towers of the Jedi Temple in a matter of seconds, especially since there were many others who needed to use this particular lift? This boy was testing Obi-Wan's patience, no doubt about that._

"_Just another minute, Ani." Qui-Gon responded benevolently, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder._

_Obi-Wan shot his Master an exasperated look. He couldn't fathom how Qui-Gon could put up with Anakin the way he did._

_Qui-Gon gave him a look that could only be described as puzzled in return, not only studying his Padawan's facial expression, but his feelings as well._

"_I sense much turmoil in you, Obi-Wan," He said after a moment, "Is something the matter?"_

"_I'd prefer not to discuss it, Master," Obi-Wan retorted, agitated that Qui-Gon had made his remark in front of Anakin, instead of waiting until he could have addressed his Padawan in private._

"_I thought so," Qui-Gon nodded his head perceptively._

_Obi-Wan tensed, putting up a shield around his emotions so the older Jedi couldn't pry into them any further._

"_Don't shut me out, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said quietly, careful not to get into an argument over too sensitive of a subject in front of Anakin._

"_You will not like what you'll sense in me, Master," Obi-Wan insisted softly, lowering his defenses none the less._

_Qui-Gon analyzed him for a few moments, and then sighed, "We'll talk about this at another time."_

"_Thank you, Master." Obi-Wan muttered as the elevator finally slowed to a stop._

"_Well, here we are." Qui-Gon smiled down at Anakin._

"_Yippee!" The boy exclaimed, rushing through the doors at almost the very instant they opened._

_Qui-Gon chuckled at Anakin's energy, stepping out of the lift himself. Obi-Wan followed, not sharing in his companions' enthusiasm._

"_Try not to be so sullen, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon tried to cheer him up, then added with a smile, "She's still waiting for you."_

_He looked up, ready to kick himself for letting her sneak up on him twice in one day. Sure enough, Arion was leaning up against the wall farther down the corridor, grinning smugly at him. He shook his head in amusement, and then gave Qui-Gon a questioning look._

"_Go ahead," His Master nudged him towards her, "Just try to behave yourself, alright?"_

_Unable to contain the smile that was spreading across his face, Obi-Wan ran towards her._

"_Remember, we're still going to discus this matter later!" Qui-Gon called after him as he attempted to apprehend Anakin._

_Obi-Wan spun around and nodded to his Master that he understood, then turned back to Arion, taking her into his arms and planting a kiss on her cheek._

"_Notice anything different?" Arion laughed, turning her face away from him, so he would see that she no longer wore a long braid like his behind her right ear._

"_Of course I do! Congratulations!" He replied, letting go of her as she reached back and let her hair down._

_She shook her head so her hair settled around her shoulders, the normally straight locks curling slightly from having been twisted into a bun all day._

"_I've wanted to do that for years," She beamed, hugging him again._

_Obi-Wan released her again as the others caught up with them; Qui-Gon and Anakin from behind Obi-Wan and Ny'iita from down the hall._

"_Congratulations, Arion," Qui-Gon echoed his Apprentice, embracing the new Jedi Knight._

"_Thank you, Qui-Gon," She said, then noticed Anakin, who was peeking out at her from behind Qui-Gon. "And who do we have here?"_

"_My name's Anakin Skywalker," The boy replied, "What's yours?"_

"_Arion Nu'Moor," She smirked, crouching down and offering Anakin her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Anakin."_

"_It's nice to meet you, too," Anakin said, shaking the hand she'd presented._

"_It looks like the tables have turned on us," Ny'iita remarked as Arion rose, "It is now we who are holding you up."_

"_It's no inconvenience," Qui-Gon assured her, motioning for Obi-Wan and Anakin to move along, "You can stay and wait with us if you'd like."_

"_Thank you for the offer, but we can't," Ny'iita answered, "I promised to take Arion out somewhere nice to celebrate."_

"_Well, then I guess we'll all be on our way," Qui-Gon said, signaling everyone exchange a last goodbye._

"_It has been wonderful to see you both again," Arion smiled as they began to part ways, "And even more so to meet you, Anakin Skywalker."_

_Anakin blushed, mumbling a 'thank you' before darting behind Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan once more._

_With a heavy heart, Obi-Wan turned away and followed his Master towards the Council Chamber. He sighed to himself, trying to take his mind off of Arion by watching Anakin ambling along in front of him._

_Suddenly, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and looked back to find Arion standing behind him, looking up at him with a quiet smile._

"_I just wanted to thank you for waiting with me earlier," She whispered, kissing him on the cheek._

"_No trouble at all," He said, running his hand through her hair while he contemplated telling her that it was something he'd wanted to do for years. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, then," Was what came out instead._

"_I guess so." Arion gazed at him for a moment, then embraced him one last time before they both turned and went their separate ways, more content with the private valediction than they had been with the previous one._

"_Is that your girlfriend?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan as he caught up with them._

"_No." He answered bluntly, giving the boy a glare that warned him not to pursue the matter any further._

"_Oh," Anakin muttered, ducking his head._

"_Jedi are not allowed to fall in love," Qui-Gon explained to Anakin, though his eyes remained fixed on his Padawan._

"_Why not?" Anakin inquired, unaware that he was, yet again, starting to get on Obi-Wan's nerves._

"_I'll explain it to you later," Qui-Gon replied, "right now, I need you to focus on the task at hand."_

"_Do you think I'll do alright?" Anakin asked._

"_Of course I do." Qui-Gon assured him, placing a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder as the doors to the Council Chamber slid open in front of them._

_

* * *

_Reviews are love! 


	7. Chapter 6

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

* * *

Chapter Six: Choices, Questions, and Causes Unknown

* * *

"Well," Arion said softly, clearing her throat to break the silence that had fallen as she and Obi-Wan had begun to clear off the table.

"Well what?" He asked, setting down an armful of dirty dishes.

"What now?" She shrugged, placing her stack of dishes next to Obi-Wan's on the counter.

"Now? Well, it's a little early to go to bed just yet, but if you really want to, um, _you know_ –"

"That's not what I was getting at," She interrupted him, going back to the table and pulling a chair out.

Obi-Wan followed, nudging her to the side, then sitting down in her place. He pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist.

"You're regretting coming here, is that what you're getting at?" He asked quietly.

"No, of course not," Arion answered, brushing back some of his hair to kiss his forehead.

"I don't think it was a mistake either," He said evocatively as he leaned against her, resting his cheek on her shoulder, then absently pressed a soft kiss to the smooth skin of her arm.

She smiled faintly in response, glancing around the room, her eyes settling on her travel bag, which was still lying on the floor, filled with her clean clothes. She could have kicked herself for forgetting all about it until just then. With an agitated sigh, she rose.

"Where do you think you're going?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm moving in," She replied, holding up her bag by the straps so it swung back and forth in front of her.

"Good point," Obi-Wan remarked, crossing to the cabinet that held his clothes. He opened the double doors, pushing his things to one side to make room for hers.

Arion rummaged through her bag, positioning the proper items in place one by one, then pulled off her boots and added them to the assortment. When she was finished she stepped back, folding her arms across her chest as if she were inspecting her handiwork. "Well, isn't this the picture of a happy little household?"

"The Council would be ashamed," Obi-Wan whispered into her ear as he gently rubbed the backs of his fingers across her shoulder blades.

"Scandalous. And here I thought we were both getting old and boring," She answered, closing the doors and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Obi-Wan grinned at her attempt at humor, encircling her in his arms.

"I guess we couldn't stay innocent forever," He muttered softly into her ear, twisting the ends of her hair around his fingertips.

"No, I suppose not," She replied, pressing her lips against the base of his neck before looking back up at him.

"Oh, so you're thinking about _that_ kind of innocence," Obi-Wan returned her look with his own roguishly disarming expression, closing the distance between them for a kiss as he eased her up against the closet, pressing her back to the doors. He ran his hand through her hair, a few of the shorter strands slipping through his fingers and falling across her face. Her arms tightened around his neck, pulling him closer. Abruptly, he pulled his lips away from hers, kissing her neck and partly exposed shoulder.

"Still think we're old and boring?" He asked, bringing his face back up to hers.

Arion just smiled at him mischievously, her arms sliding away from around his neck. Planting her hands firmly on his chest, she gave him a shove onto the bed. He landed softly on his back, his legs still hanging over the edge. He kicked his boots off and slid back, rotating his body so that his head rested against the pillows. Almost immediately, Arion came down on top of him, pressing her lips to his.

"You know," Obi-Wan panted when she pulled back, "this would work a lot better without our clothes on."

"So do something about it," She retorted breathily, reaching down to unhook his belt.

Obi-Wan attempted to slip his hands down to the corseting work on her dress, but soon found that he couldn't reach the laces of her bodice.

"You need to sit up or something," He grunted.

"Oh, so we're doing it that way, then," She snickered provocatively, pulling his tunic open as she complied with his request.

"Force, you're impossible." He mumbled as he tugged at the ties, loosening them enough so that she was able to take the dress off.

"But you know you love me," She said, tossing the garment onto the floor.

"That, my dear, is up for debate." He teased her, running a hand along her thigh as he sat up, planting several teasing kisses on her stomach while he shifted his position so Arion could no longer straddle him.

"Shut up and take your pants off," She gasped into his ear, tugging impatiently at the bed sheets.

"Alright, alright," He muttered, sitting up as he pulled his clothes off.

"Now," Obi-Wan continued when he'd accomplished the task, wrapping an arm around her waist, "Where were we?"

His lips met hers again as he lowered her down onto the bed.

"Ah yes, now I remember," He whispered into her ear, positioning himself on top of her.

"Aw, and you had me thinking we were going to try something different this time," She made a pouting face, slowly running a finger down his chest.

"We'll do that next," He replied, grabbing her hand and pinning her wrist down against the bed, "As many times as you want."

"Oh, really?" She raised her eyebrows with a smirk.

"Really. I promise."

* * *

Arion rolled onto her stomach and absent-mindedly smoothed out the pillow case with her fingers. As she propped herself up on her elbows, she realized that it was not quite midnight yet – which meant she'd only been asleep for a few short hours. She sighed despondently, now too feeling too awake to try and fall back asleep. She rubbed her eyes and turned onto her back, noting that Obi-Wan appeared to be resting peacefully beside her.

Once again, she was annoyed to find that the temperature was almost unbearable; only this time it was too cold instead of too hot. Arion couldn't understand how Obi-Wan was able to tolerate the way the temperature fluctuated between these two extremes. She'd only been here for a short time, and was already growing tired of it.

"Blasted desert planet…" She muttered to herself, giving the pillow a light smack with the back of her hand.

With an aggravated groan, she climbed out of bed and snuck over to the storage closet where they were keeping their clothes. She glanced back towards the bed as she quietly opened the doors, checking to see that she hadn't woken Obi-Wan. Fairly sure that he was still sleeping, she searched the contents of the closet until she found the simple white slip she sometimes wore to bed as well as a knitted jacket that could be easily removed when the nighttime cold wore off. It wasn't much, but Arion knew she'd regret choosing anything heavier when the morning heat rolled around.

"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan mumbled sleepily as she pulled the garment on over her head.

"I'm cold," She answered simply.

Obi-Wan grumbled incoherently and sat up, tugging more blankets up from the foot of the bed. Before he lay down again, he held out a hand, Force lifting a clean pair of pants from the open cabinet back to him.

"Lazy," Arion rolled her eyes as she closed the doors.

Obi-Wan just shrugged complacently, pulling his pants on as Arion climbed back into bed. She yawned and leaned up against him, and he put an arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

Arion closed her eyes, changing her position to a more comfortable one. Sleep, however, continued to elude her, so she opened her eyes again, and lay staring off at nothing for awhile longer.

"Ari, can I ask you a serious question?" Obi-Wan whispered at length.

"Of course you may," She answered.

"Do you think we should get married?"

For a brief moment, Arion was sure that time itself stopped. She cleared her throat, recovering from the shock of being on the receiving end of a few small words she never thought she'd hear directed at her. Finally, she managed to regain her composer.

"Are you asking me officially, or just wondering?" She asked.

"It's open to interpretation," He said, and Arion nodded, slowly sitting up.

"If we did get married," She said, "It would have to be under one condition."

"And what would that be?" Obi-Wan asked, also rising.

"We can't be Jedi Knights anymore." Arion replied quietly, casting her gaze downward. Her eyes settled on her hands, which were resting palms up in her lap. She slowly flexed her fingers, watching each twitch-like movement with unwavering fixation. She couldn't look back up at Obi-Wan just then; the silence that had fallen between them was already more than she could stand.

"You can't seriously mean that," He stammered at last, "Not after all that's happened –"

"But I am serious, Obi-Wan. I really mean it." She protested, looking back up at him. His eyes looked distant, glazed over with shock. She didn't need to use the Force to sense what he was feeling; not that she even wanted to now.

"Are you sure this is what you want us to do?" He questioned her, still reeling with disbelief.

"You make it sound as if _I'm_ the one who's making this final," She muttered, glancing away, "Like giving up now would actually matter to someone."

"But it does matter. Like it or not, we still have the same responsibility to the Order as we did –"

"There is no Order." She interjected quietly.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. He took a deep breath before continuing, "Two years ago, I made a promise, Ari. A promise that I intend to keep."

"A promise? Is that what this is about, then? Making promise after promise until you can't possibly keep all of them, and all the faith that anyone ever had in you is left broken?" She demanded, her eyes beginning to tear up.

"Of course not… you know that I wouldn't do anything like that to anyone, least of all to you," He insisted, "But you have to understand that I can't marry you if it means giving up an entire lifetime's worth of Jedi training."

"If you were only planning on arguing against marriage, why did you even bring it up in the first place?" Arion asked him in a slow, measured tone.

"Ari, come on, you know that's not what I meant…"

"Yes it is! That's exactly what you've been saying," She exclaimed, cradling her head in her hands as she sighed in frustration.

"Listen," Obi-Wan said in a tone that Arion found to be unnervingly similar to that of a negotiator, placing a hand on her shoulder, "We'll do what we both feel to be right when the time comes, but right now I don't believe that it would be in our best interest to leave the Order."

"You keep on talking about it like it still exists," She shot back, pushing his hand away and swinging her legs over the side of the bed, "It's _over_, Obi-Wan. It ended a long time ago."

"Force," Obi-Wan cursed under his breath. She could tell he was growing weary of this debate, as was she.

"What else can I say to you?" He continued, "I love you – I always have. But I just don't know about this. Turning our backs on everything we've been for the past forty years of our lives could very well destroy us."

Arion said nothing in return. She was tired of fighting this losing battle against someone she loved. Besides, she knew that if the Order still meant something to him, then what he was saying could very well be the truth.

"Just stay here with me, let things stay as they are now. We'll train Luke together, and someday we'll find a way to make this work." Obi-Wan whispered with a reassuring half-smile, leaning over and kissing her forehead.

Arion silently cast her defeated gaze down at the floor, unable to share in his optimism.

* * *

Days past slowly in the oppressive heat, light and darkness melding together into what gave the impression of a timeless void, as endless as the vast desert that stretched beyond the horizon. For Arion, one moment seemed to last an eternity, yet as the moments passed, each one faded into a haze, making it practically indistinguishable from any other.

Obi-Wan was doing his best to make her feel at home and constantly reassured her that she would grow used to life on Tatooine. He always appeared to be unfazed by the temperature, denying her allegations that it was only rising more each day. They sometimes went into some of the nearby towns together, although each excursion only became shorter than its predecessor as the burning climate began to take its toll on Arion. She began to feel dizzy and nauseous when she ventured outside during the day, which as much as she tried to pass it off as nothing, was undoubtedly beginning to worry Obi-Wan. Things only got worse as her symptoms started manifesting themselves on days when she never set foot outdoors, and in the early hours of each morning. It was during one of these bizarre spells that Arion first began to contemplate the notion that she couldn't stay on Tatooine for much longer.

Regardless of Obi-Wan's pleading, she continued to decline medical attention, insisting that if they just waited a few more days, she would be alright again. Yet as time went by, they both began to doubt whether or not that would ever really happen.

One afternoon, Arion awoke from a short nap to find Obi-Wan sitting at the kitchen table, examining the digital display on a small screen in front of him.

She yawned and stretched, pressing a hand to an ache in her lower back as she rose.

"What are you looking at?" She asked drowsily as she slowly made her way up the stairs and over to him.

"I've been thinking about adding onto the house for a few months now. Since you're here, I figure I had better work out the details and do it." He replied, not looking up from the monitor.

"That's a good idea," Arion nodded as she approached him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders from behind him and rested her chin against the top of his head when she reached him, "Especially when you consider all of the kids we're going to have running around here in a few years."

"Excuse me?" He stammered, tilting his head back to look up at her.

"What? You don't want to have any children now, either?"

"Well, no, I… I suppose I do… if you want to…" He paused, drawing his eyebrows together, "You're not trying to tell me anything, are you?"

She rolled her eyes, kissing his furrowed brow. "I was just acknowledging the possibility. You know, that 'someday' thing you keep talking about."

"Oh. Alright," He sighed, turning his focus back to the display.

Arion straightened, combing her hands through her disheveled hair.

"Alright," She repeated quietly, crossing the room to get herself something to drink from the kitchen center.

* * *

Please Review! 


	8. Chapter 7

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

* * *

Chapter Seven: A Well-Earned Reputation

* * *

_Qui-Gon sighed impatiently, once again letting his gaze roam around the enormous ballroom. Even though the banquet was still hours away, the kitchen staff and a few other assorted housekeeping crews were already milling about busily, their frantic preparations filling the Jedi Master's senses with unceasing sensations. The buzz and clatter of the staff's constant prattle and rearrangement of the many tables and chairs was particularly annoying._

_As he sat amongst the chaos, he couldn't help but feel slighted by the Council's decision to assign him to the semiannual Senatorial Ball. Every year that the event was held, a small number of Jedi were sent to stand guard, more for appearances than an actual matter of security. The affair was infamous for being one of the dullest activities known to Jedi, and had earned a reputation in the Order, for being an event to be dreaded and avoided at all costs. The selection process for the Ball was at times pure luck of the draw, which only added fuel to the fire of apprehension; however, those Jedi who were unlucky enough to be on-planet in the month before the occasion seemed to be the most frequently chosen to attend. Unfortunately, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fit the bill this time around._

_Qui-Gon leaned back in his chair, and cast a sideways glance at his Padawan. For some strange reason, Obi-Wan seemed to be quite enthralled by the commotion around him, and even more so by the fact that the two Jedi were like an eye of tranquility in the storm of preparations._

_Across the room, the door of the main entrance slid open with an airy hiss, the two metallic halves parting to make way for two additional Jedi. For the first time all day, Qui-Gon smiled contentedly to himself. The older of the two was an old friend of his -- Master Ny'iita Raken, whom he had known since his days as a student at the Temple. She was hard to miss, even in this current state of disarray, when details could so easily be lost in the midst of such sensory bombardment. Ny'iita was tall and lean, her delicate facial features surrounded by soft waves of vibrant red hair, and punctuated by haunting ice-blue eyes. She was a fair skinned beauty, just as deadly as she was attractive._

_Just a few steps behind the Master, her Padawan coolly strode into the crowded room. Ny'iita's Apprentice was a young human female who was no more than three standard years younger than Obi-Wan. In fact, if Qui-Gon remembered correctly, she had been a good friend of Obi-Wan's for most of her life. Qui-Gon scanned his memory for further details; he knew he was forgetting something… the Padawan's name, for one thing. He'd met her before, and had heard about her several times since, but it still took him another moment to place it. Arion. Her name was Arion Nu'Moor, he finally recollected. He remembered once considering her for his own Padawan, but deciding on Obi-Wan instead._

_Content with that much knowledge, Qui-Gon decided not to pursue the matter any further. As he and Obi-Wan rose to meet the arriving Jedi, his concern rested solely in the assignment that had brought them there, and the little time they now had to catch up with old friends. Time, Qui-Gon sensed, Obi-Wan was itching to get into._

_"Ny'iita," he smiled pleasantly as all four Jedi bowed to each other in greeting, "I hope today finds you well."_

_"Well enough… considering," The other Jedi Master replied sarcastically._

_"Who can blame you for not wanting to be here? The boredom we four are about to face has been known to cause complete mental melt-downs," Qui-Gon noted jokingly, and Obi-Wan snorted a laugh at the comment, casting a lingering glance at Arion. The fourth one that day, if Qui-Gon had counted properly._

_"But," he continued, "do come and have a seat. I'm guessing we've still got a bit of waiting to do."_

_Ny'iita and Arion took their seats in the small circle of chairs reserved for the Jedi. Both Master and Apprentice looked around curiously, watching the busy staff place more tables and chairs into position. Taking advantage of the free time, Obi-Wan leaned in towards his fellow Padawan, whispering something into her ear. Arion smiled and nodded in response, reaching us and twirling the end of her braid around one of her fingers as he went on._

_"They remind me of the two of us when we were their age." Ny'iita commented quietly, switching her seat so she could be next to Qui-Gon._

_"Were we ever that young?" Qui-Gon replied humorously. _

_"I'm afraid so…" Ny'iita laughed._

_"Well, if they really are that similar to us, we're in for quite the bumpy ride." He grinned._

_"Oh, we weren't that bad, were we?" Ny'iita inquired, shifting her position._

_"Ny, you drove both of our Masters crazy on your own, if I remember correctly."_

_"I most certainly did not!" She laughed, her sapphire eyes sparkling._

_"Alright, alright… I will admit I made a few contributions to their decline."_

_Ny'iita snickered, shaking her head and folding her arms tightly across her chest._

_"At least some things never change…" She muttered, glancing back at him.

* * *

_

_"For those of you who don't already know, my name is Daearyl Bix. I was the one responsible for the planning of this evening's festivities, and on behalf of the Galactic Senate, I would like to thank each and every one of you for donating your time and efforts to this occasion. You may or may be aware of the significance of the Senatorial Ball, but I will assure you, it is a charitable event; all proceeds benefit many different aid organizations throughout the galaxy."_

_At this, Qui-Gon glanced around curiously, reaching out with the Force to see if any of the Jedi were buying into the tawdry, not to mention terribly boring, speech. All told, there were about twenty Jedi in the room, and none of them were taking a word of this Bix fellow's blather seriously._

_"Behind me," the presenter continued, "is a lay out of the ballroom, as well as the surrounding chambers and terraces. In just a moment, I will personally show you around, and guide those of you who have been assigned posts to your positions. Those who have not been given a post include Master Jinn and Jedi Apprentice Kenobi, Master Mundi, Master Raken and Jedi Apprentice Nu'Moor, and MasterTinn. Also, I do believe that Master Raken and her Apprentice have volunteered to be our covert operatives this year..." Bix looked up from the dadtapad he was reading from to scan for Ny'iita and Arion, giving them a pointed look when he saw Ny'iita indicate their location with a small wave of her hand, "The two of you will have to see me after the meeting ends for special instruction."_

_Qui-Gon raised his eyebrows amusedly, turning to face Ny'iita. By the look in her eyes, he could tell that Bix had used the term _volunteered_ very loosely._

_"Now," Bix once again proceeded to ramble on, somehow completely oblivious to the blatant disinterest of the group he was addressing, "are there any questions before we begin?"_

'Actually, yes,' _Ny'iita's voice rang inside Qui-Gon's head; _'Do we really have to put up with this nonsense all day, or are they going to be providing us with blaster pistols to ease our suffering?'

_He stifled a somewhat derisive laugh, rising when Bix motioned for the Jedi to follow him. He subtly held out his arm to stop Obi-Wan from going along with the group, and grabbed onto Ny'iita's sleeve to halt her progress as well. In turn, she got a hold of Arion's robe and pulled her back._

_"Come on," He commanded softly, directing the other three away from the main group and towards the nearest exit._

_"Where are we going?" Arion whispered to Ny'iita._

_"Anywhere but here," Qui-Gon muttered an answer for her, slipping through the doorway._

_"Thank the Force…" The young Padawan sighed, pulling ahead of her Master to walk besides Obi-Wan, who smiled and placed a guiding hand on the small of her back._

_They ended up on a small balcony, which faced the nearby Senate rotunda. In the courtyard far below the Jedi, different beings too small to be recognizable scampered towards and away from the massive structure as a steady flow of air traffic whizzed by overhead. The late afternoon light was casting angular shadows against the surrounding buildings, including their own, where the shade was pooling in a corner next to the door they had just emerged from._

_"We should call an air taxi," He grumbled, pulling his robe closed, gathering it into tight folds across his chest._

_"Shirking responsibility again, Qui-Gon?" Ny'iita laughed, firmly placing her hands on the durasteel railing that ran around the edge of the lofty terrace._

_Qui-Gon smirked, rolling his eyes. He took a few steps forward, joining her at the railing. Arion and Obi-Wan hung back, content to let their Masters enjoy their conversation while they had a private tête-à-tête in the shadows. This was fair enough, Qui-Gon noted, since he had only so much tolerance for Obi-Wan's "Master, may I…"s and didn't mind conversing with someone his own age for once._

_"You know, Qui-Gon," Ny'iita continued, tucking her hair behind her ear, "If you weren't so -- Force, how should I put this -- defiant all the time, you could be on the Council."_

_"Who says I want to be on the Council?" He retorted lightly, giving her an amused look. "The will of the Living Force is not meant to be debated and discussed by a circle of sequestered Jedi Masters who proclaim themselves to be wise. Not that I doubt the wisdom of the Council members, mind you."_

_"Oh, of course you're not." She laughed._

_"Well, they did send us here…" He said, going along with her incredulous connotations. After all, there was nothing wrong with poking fun at some of the ancient Jedi Masters who presided on the Council every now and again. It was a habit every Youngling was quick to acquire, and every Master slow to break._

_"I really am serious about that air taxi." Qui-Gon went on, placing a hand on Ny'iita's shoulder and gesturing theatrically with the other, "What do you say? The two of us, cruising around Coruscant while the other… less defiant Jedi stay behind and suffer through this political torment."_

_"While our Padawans hold on to the back of the taxi," Ny'iita added lightheartedly, brushing his hand off of her shoulder._

_"I wasn't going to bring them, but if you insist, I'm sure we could find a nice storage compartment to keep them in." He responded, glancing back at the Padawans in question. Ny'iita laughed, shaking her head in amusement._

_"Speaking of our dear Apprentices," She instigated when her laughter died down, "How has Obi-Wan been?"_

_"Force knows we had some difficulties a few years back… but he's shown a lot of progress since then." Qui-Gon grinned contentedly, "He's going to be a great Jedi Knight one I day, I can sense it."_

_"You must be very proud," She said._

"_Of course…But just look at you, a Master with your own Padawan learner! There's something I never thought I'd see."_

_"Me neither," She admitted, looking back at Arion, "I still can't figure out how you talked me into it. At least when I taught at the Temple, I could escape my Younglings for a few hours everyday; but I actually have to _live_ with this one."_

_"You can't honestly tell me it wasn't worth it, though." He pointed out._

_"No, I can't. She's… something else. Force, is she ever a handful, but she's my handful, and there's something to that." Ny'iita smirked nostalgically._

_"Are you still planning on going back to teaching after she's elevated to Jedi Knight?" He asked, turning back to face the bustling cityscape._

_"Absolutely. I think I like the Younglings better when they're not sharing an apartment, or a fresher for that matter, with me," She sighed, shaking her head, "So, what about that air taxi?"

* * *

_

_"I look ridiculous." Arion insisted, squirming uncomfortably in the dress her Master was attempting to help her into. "When you said we'd be working undercover, I thought you meant we'd be sneaking through back hallways, hiding in…" She had to pause to catch her breath as Ny'iita gave a sudden tug to the material around her waist, "dark corners, out of sight. Instead, they have us wandering about in these foolish outfits, pretending to-- Force, stop pulling so hard-- mingle with snobbish delegates all night."_

_"Well," Ny'iita huffed, hooking up another one of the clasps that ran up the side of her Padawan's dress, "maybe if you hadn't scared off the dress maid, this wouldn't be such a hassle. And in response to your misconceptions, the only thing I can say is that maybe you had better listen more carefully to what it is I tell you."_

_"Well, I'm sorry Master… but this is just so undignified." Arion continued to fidget, glaring darkly at her reflection in one of the giant mirrors that lined the walls of the exclusive dress shop, which was just the kind of place Arion would have expected to find the outlandish style of dress the wealthy Senators wore to these kinds of events._

_Finally accomplishing her task, Ny'iita sighed and straightened, taking Arion firmly by the shoulders as the younger Jedi's gaze remained fixated on the mirror, sharing a quizzical look with her own reflection._

_"There's nothing undignified about any of this except for-"_

_"The fact that I look ridiculous, perhaps?" Arion reiterated, interrupting her Master with the sarcastic quip. Behind her, Ny'iita hung her head in frustration, touching her forehead to her Padawan's shoulder for a brief moment to collect herself._

_"Except for your perception," Ny'iita finished, grabbing Arion's wrist when she reached up to tug at the fabric, "It's just a dress. When we get inside, you won't look one bit out of place."_

_"We'll see how you feel when you're wearing yours, Master." She shot back, wrenching her hand out of Ny'iita's grip._

_Ny'iita just rolled her eyes, and Arion's eyes shifted back to her reflection. _Just a dress, indeed… _she thought, exhaling heavily. The garment in question was mainly made of a thick black material, which not so much hung on her body as clung to it. It was a strapless and backless design, with a low neckline that dipped down between her breasts. There was also an angular tear-drop shaped section of fabric cut out over her midriff, the wider part of the gap centered on her navel. The dress's asymmetrical hem made it so that it was knee-length on her left side, but down to her mid-calf on the right. Spilling out from beneath the edges was a sheer purple fabric that served as a floor length skirt on the bottom. At the top of the dress, it once again emerged from her neckline in the same manner as a halter top, the material slowly thinning into a string that had to be tied at the nape of her neck. Just before it made this transition, however, it split off to form long, flowing sleeves that had been cut open over her shoulders and elbows. The over-all effect, Arion felt, was a strange mixture between the illusions of wearing two layers in the front, and looking as if she were topless from the back. At the moment, she very much missed the comfort and security of her Jedi robes._

_"You'll have to see the woman over there about your hair and make-up next," Ny'iita was saying. Noting Arion's irritation at the whole situation, she let one of her hands slip off of her Padawan's shoulder to rest comfortingly on her back._

_"That's just going to make this worse." Arion grumbled, crossing her arms tightly in front of her. However, she quickly undid the action when she noticed how it had managed to further emphasize her bust – which was already far too prominent for her predilection without being pushed up by her arms._

_"No, it won't. Look, I had mine done while you got dressed, and it's not so bad." Ny'iita encouraged her Apprentice, turning her around and gently pushing her in the right direction._

_"We both look like we're on deathsticks…" Arion protested, reluctantly following the path her Master had set her on._

_"Sith, Ari, stop complaining."_

_"Yes, Master," Arion sighed as she sat down in the stylist's chair, resigning herself to what she perceived as the inevitable doom awaiting her.

* * *

_

_Obi-Wan shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearing his throat and glancing around uncomfortably. In spite of his Master's orders, he'd decided to tuck himself away in a dark corner, cloaking himself as best he could in the shadows instead of openly wondering through the growing crowd. He'd already decided that he hated this whole Senatorial Ball business; well, as much as a Jedi could truly "hate" anything, perhaps a more accurate description of the felling was an irritated sense of apathy. He shifted again, this time rocking on the balls of his feet as he failed to stifle a bored sigh._

_Out in the main hall, the delegates had begun to arrive, the more important Senators' entrances marked with excessive fanfare. Already, the din of trite chatter and idle gossip was growing into a roar, a wave of thousands of voices striving to be heard over those of the other guests._

_With a sigh, he pulled out the comlink that he'd received, along with all of the other Jedi who would be on the floor that night, from Bix earlier in the evening. It was the same model of comlink as the security staff used, which included a small earpiece for added subtlety. He carefully detached it from the main body of the com, slipping it into place and filling his ear with the soft, staticy sound of an unused frequency. Now all he had to do was wait for Bix, who was back in the security control room, to open the channel._

_"Bix here," the com finally crackled to life, "You're on channel 519, please test your links."_

_"Nu'Moor," He heard Arion's quiet reply come through the com, "Testing frequency 519."_

_"Kenobi, testing frequency 519," He echoed her._

_"Raken, testing frequency 519."_

_"Jinn, testing frequency 519."_

_"All clear," The Security Chief confirmed, "Bix out."_

_For a long time, that was all he heard. The usual chatter that passed between the four Jedi was silenced by the knowledge that every word they spoke was being transmitted back to the security headquarters, where it was not only overheard, but scrutinized and recorded._

_So he sat in the shadows and watched. There was nothing else to be done, really; the Ball was living up to its reputation and more. The only fascinating part of the night came when he noticed a familiar face among the entourage of the young Senator from Alderaan. _

_Obi-Wan smiled in spite of himself when he recognized Arion. It was somewhat ironic, he mused, that she had been so opposed to wearing the dress – because she looked absolutely stunning in it. He continued to watch her as the night wore on, and slowly came to find that he was growing ever more, for the lack of a better word, attracted to her. The radiant glow of her painted face, the way she moved amongst the twirling and swishing of the dress, even the way her hair had been carefully swept back into an intricate bun at the nape of her neck; everything about her that night drew him in. He'd always known she was beautiful, and he'd always enjoyed being around her, but somehow seeing her now was different in a way… he just couldn't quite rationalize why. Nor could he ignore the ever nagging feeling like he wanted more._

_He stepped out of the darkness he'd hid himself in and made his way through the crowd towards her. She was busy talking to the Senator she'd arrived with, but it was nothing of such importance that Obi-Wan would feel guilty about interrupting them._

_He walked by her, brushing up against her as he passed. She looked up to see who had bumped into her, and he half turned, catching her gaze. When he looked into her eyes, he saw something deep inside them flash as a small grin same across her face; then he turned and left, heading towards an exit he knew lead out to a garden balcony._

"_Could you excuse me for one moment, Senator?" He heard her say as he walked away.

* * *

_

_He watched Arion slowly moving past him as she made her way into the garden. He couldn't help but notice the way that the lights from the buildings and air traffic fell through the filtering screen of vegetation created an alluring mural of light and shadow that played across her bare back as she walked. Her skin looked so strangely perfect in the glow of the artificial light, like if he could just reach out and touch her, she would feel softer than the finest of Coruscant's finest imported fabrics._

_He bit his lip and leaned back against the wall beside the door when she took a deep breath, her back arching ever so slightly as she filled her lungs with the fragrant air. Obi-Wan could imagine the look on her face right at that moment: the soft smile on her slightly parted lips, the sparkle in her deep purple eyes as they slowly opened._

"_Obi-Wan?" She looked over her shoulder at him, her profile outlined in the soft glow of the city behind her._

"_Are you coming or not?" She asked innocently, her question punctuated with the ghost of quiet laughter._

"_Of course I am," He replied, hurrying to catch up with her._

_She held out a hand for him, her smile widening when he took it. She gently tugged at his wrist, pulling him closer to her so she could guide his arm around her waist before releasing his hand and wrapping her arms around him as they walked._

"_I hope we never have to go back in there again," She said quietly, glancing back at the way they came before resting her cheek against his shoulder._

"_Agreed," Obi-Wan smiled, carefully tightening his grip around her waist._

"_It's so much nicer out here…" She continued absently, "No stuffy politicians to fussing over this Act or that one, and certainly no false smiles or painfully forced compliments. Just a lovely garden – look, they've even got a little pond."_

_He chuckled quietly at the simplicity of her reasoning, which earned him a questioning look._

"_What?" Arion asked, perching her chin on his shoulder and raising her eyebrows at him._

"_Nothing," He answered, touching his forehead to hers, "I've missed you."_

_She just wrinkled her nose at him then laughed, oblivious of the hold she had over him._

"_I wonder if they have fish," She wondered out loud, pulling away from Obi-Wan and cautiously making her way over to the edge of the small pond, where she sat on one of the large rocks that had been placed around the edge._

"_Ari, you're –" He paused, searching for the right word – "Irrepressible."_

"_Thank you… I suppose." Now it was her turn to have a small laugh at his expense._

_He smirked, coming up behind her and grabbing her around the waist. _

"_You know, you really should be careful around the edge here. You wouldn't want to fall in, now would you?" He teased her, leaning forward to pretend like he was going to push her into the water._

"_You wouldn't! Obi-Wan!" She giggled, taking a hold of his arms and pressing back against his chest._

"_Try me…" He replied, speaking softly into her ear so he'd have an excuse to touch the tip of his nose against the smooth skin of her neck as he adjusted his position._

_She laughed again, reaching back and giving him a gentle shove off of her._

"_I was only kidding," Obi-Wan reassured her with a friendly smile, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing her cheek before she managed to shrug him off yet again._

_With a sigh, he pulled back, once again studying her appearance. Preoccupied with rearranging herself so that she could once again sit comfortably on the rock's surface, she didn't notice as he gazed at the soft curve of her neck, the delicate arch of her pale shoulders under the translucent layer of lavender fabric. He wanted to reach out again, to slip his fingers under that thin cloth and run them along her fair skin. He smiled to himself as he watched the steady rise and fall of her chest with each breath she took, and wondered what it would be like to feel the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against his own._

_She sighed quietly, staring off into the night as she absently played with the wispy purple material of her dress._

"_I wonder if they miss us," She said quietly._

"_What?" Obi-Wan stammered, somewhat taken aback by the sudden intrusion into his thoughts._

"_Our Masters -- I wonder if they know we're gone," She restated, looking back at him._

"_If they don't, I'm sure some young, rich Senator has certainly noted your extended absence," He attempted to make an offhanded comment, but the words came out with an unintended touch of bitterness._

"_What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, picking up on the tense edge in his voice._

"_Nothing," He blurted out, and she gave him a mildly disapproving look, "I just meant that… well, you had to have noticed the looks that Senator from Alderaan was giving you, is all."_

"_Giving me looks?" She wrinkled her nose._

_Obi-Wan's eyes darted away nervously, then settled on a small group of white flowers floating in the pond, just out of reach._

"_I didn't mean that, well… you know," He tried to explain further, "I just meant that you've managed to attract a few admirers tonight, is all."_

"_Oh really?" Arion laughed sarcastically._

"_Really," He insisted. He slowly reached out, using the Force to draw one of the floating flowers towards him._

"_Stop making fun of me, I feel silly enough already," She said incredulously. _

"_I'm serious," Obi-Wan whispered, carefully lifting the blossom out of the water, a few tiny droplets dripping from the delicate white petals._

"_You look amazing tonight," He told her softly._

"_Liar," She retorted quietly, a small half-smile forming on her soft lips, and a delicate flush creeping across her cheeks._

_He smiled back at her, and without a word, slowly floated the small flower into his open palm. Carefully, he reached out and tucked it behind one of her ears._

_She bit her lip, the blush on her cheeks deepening. He cautiously shifted his weight, and leaned in towards her._

"_Obi-Wan? Arion? Force, where are you two?" They both heard Master Raken's voice over their comlinks._

"_I'll get it," Arion stammered, holding up her arm to reveal the main body of her com strapped around her wrist._

"_We're outside, Master," She spoke into the comlink, "Would you like us to come back in?"_

"_Please do," Ny'iita sighed irritably over the link._

"_We're on our way," Arion replied, rising from her perch on the edge of the rock._

"_Hey, Ari – wait a minute," Obi-Wan stood up behind her, taking a hold of her arm to keep her from leaving._

"_What is it?" She asked, turning around._

"_I got you something… earlier today. To go with your dress," He muttered, reaching into one of the pouches on his belt and producing the gift. He held his hand out for her, revealing a necklace of fine black string with a charm like a little silver sun._

"_Oh, it's beautiful," She smiled as she took it. She studied it for a moment, but then her smile began to fade. "But what will our Masters say? I don't think Ny would let me keep it."_

"_Tell her that one of those rich Senators gave it to you," Obi-Wan said, taking the necklace back from her as he positioned himself behind her, "And that you no choice but to accept it for the sake of appearances."_

_She giggled quietly at his answer, tilting her head back as he reached around her to hang the necklace around her neck._

"_There," He grinned when he was done, taking her by the shoulders and turning her around._

"_Thank you," She said, looking up at him with a quirky half-smile, "But we should go inside now."_

"_You're right," He nodded. He gestured for her to go first, and she carefully gathered up the skirt of her dress to avoid stepping on it, then made her way back to the door._

_Obi-Wan sighed, burying his face in the palm of his hand. Now he felt somewhat foolish. He'd let his emotions get the best of him, and it had nearly cost him dearly. And what was more; it was only a matter of time until Qui-Gon found out. His Master always knew when something was bothering him. At least by the time Qui-Gon got to him, he'd have calmed down enough to tell a less embarrassing story. Yes, there was always that he thought to himself as he caught up to Arion._

_She looked up at him and smiled, reaching back and taking a hold of his hand to hurry him along. With a soft laugh, she reached up and tugged at the necklace with her free hand._

"_What's so funny?" He asked, his own mouth forming into an amused smirk as he slowly slipped back under her spell._

"_Nothing," She beamed, spinning around to face him so that she had to walk backwards through the garden._

"_Tell me," He said, squeezing her hand._

"_No, it's really nothing," She insisted sweetly._

"_Ari—"He begged, grabbing a hold of her waist, "Come on, tell me."_

_She shook her head teasingly, pulling her hand out of his grasp._

"_You're just funny is all," She shrugged, placing her hands on his shoulders._

"_How so?" Obi-Wan asked. He still had her by the waist, and he guided her down the path a little bit farther, stopping just before they got too close to the door._

_She glanced away impishly, pretending to ignore his request. He faked a heavy sigh, then began letting go of her before he swept her back up in his arms, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around. She laughed and looked back at him, her eyes locking onto his. There was a moment of complete silence, and Arion cleared her throat, stepping back as if she'd suddenly realized how close together they were. She looked away again, her eyes darting between the ground and his hands on her waist._

"_I told you it was nothing," She said again, taking the flower out from behind her ear. She made a few uncertain motions with her hand, unsure of whether or not to discard the blossom. He reached up and took her hand in his own, moving closer to her as he gently tightened his grip._

"_You're sweet," She smiled, looking back up at him._

"_I try," Obi-Wan replied quietly as he carefully studied her face, slowly working his fingers through hers so that he held the flower in his own hand once again._

"_But, that's just the thing, you shouldn't—"She began to protest, but stopped short when Obi-Wan took his hand away from hers, bringing the bloom back with him. He grinned down at her and tapped her on the nose with the small white blossom._

_She smiled back at him in spite of herself, ducking her head and placing her hand on his hip, hooking her thumb onto his utility belt._

_Obi-Wan tucked the flower behind her ear again, his hand lingering there as he leaned in and kissed her forehead._

"_Let's go inside," He whispered as he slowly pulled back._

"_Alright," She nodded._

_He let her go and she turned away. He followed her after pausing a moment to keep himself a few steps behind._

_She didn't look back at him again as she stepped through the durasteel doorframe, but Obi-Wan noticed that she didn't take the flower out from behind her ear either._

_

* * *

_

Well, there was actually quite a bit of BRAND NEW material in that... and Chapter 8 will be 100 shiney newness! Stay tuned for more! As usual, please review!


	9. Chapter 8

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

**Note from the Author: **Thank you so much to everyone who's been reviewing, new and old fans of the story alike. You guys mean so much to me; it's been really awesome hearing from all of you. You guys rock!

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Chapter Eight: Nothing We Can Promise

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"_I was beginning to think that cursed Ball would never end," Arion groaned, stumbling exhaustedly into the apartment._

"_Try not to collapse just yet – you still need to get that dress off before you even think of lying down," Ny'iita cautioned her Padawan._

"_May I at least _sit _down?" Arion asked desperately._

"_You may," Her Master nodded._

_Arion let out a loud sigh of relief, and crossed the room and practically fell onto one of the couches in the small sitting room. With one hand, she reached up and retrieved the white flower Obi-Wan had given her earlier from behind her ear and slowly twirled it between her fingers; while she tugged thoughtfully on the necklace with the other. She'd nearly forgotten that she was still wearing the necklace, what with the goings on at the Ball occupying her every thought that night. She pulled the string of the necklace around to find the clasp; now that she was acutely aware of its presence again, she thought it best to remove the necklace before her Master caught sight of it._

"_Where did you get that?" Ny'iita asked before Arion could remove the necklace. She looked at her Padawan curiously as she pouring herself a drink over in the kitchen._

"_The Senator from Alderaan gave it to me," Arion replied._

"_Your Force-shielding needs work," Ny'iita remarked, coming over and sitting next to Arion, "I can sense that you're lying."_

"_No, I'm not," Arion protested desperately._

"_Do not challenge my ability to sense your feelings, young one. You're lying to me and I know it." Ny'iita scolded her._

"_Sorry, Master," Arion muttered._

"_Now, tell me the truth – where did you get that?"_

_Arion ducked her head, looking away from her Master._

"_It's from Obi-Wan, isn't it?" Ny'iita said perceptively, leaning back on the couch as she took a long, slow sip of her drink._

_Arion said nothing in response. She desperately wanted to keep Obi-Wan out of trouble, especially trouble that was all because of her._

"_Your feelings betray you," Ny'iita sighed at length._

"_Are you going to inform the Council?" Arion questioned her dejectedly. There was no point in denying what her Master already knew any longer._

"_I'm sure that won't be necessary," Ny'iita answered, looking over at Arion. "Though I also sense that there is more to this than you're willing to tell me. Understand that I am very concerned about the amount of attachment the two of you have displayed for each other."_

"_Master, I apologize for –"_

"_There's no need for apologies." Ny'iita rose to pace the floor in front of Arion as she delivered her lecture, "I realize that you are both at a difficult age for any Padawan learner. You want the best of both worlds: purpose and pleasure, duty and affection," Ny'iita paused to take in a remorseful sigh, "And I'm the one who has to tell you that you can't have it."_

_Arion looked up at her Master, seeing in Ny'iita's eyes a far away expression as if she were recollecting a time long past, reliving each of the distant memories as they played in her mind._

"_Force… I'm turning into my Master." A small smile flickered across Ny'iita's lips, but it vanished as she once again sat down beside Arion, and was replaced with the stern look of an elder about to reprimand a disobedient child._

"_I will allow you to continue to see Obi-Wan, but not until both of you have had ample time to reflect on the attachment that has become evident between the two of you. And, I want you to dispose of that trinket he presented you with immediately."_

"_Yes, Master," Arion nodded glumly, removing the necklace. She clutched it tightly in her fist, the points of the tiny sunrays sticking painfully into her palm._

"_I'm going to have to have a talk with Qui-Gon," Ny'iita remarked, rising to leave the apartment._

"_And the Council?" Arion asked, leaning forward._

"_The Council will never know." Ny'iita set her drink down and went to get her cloak. Arion watched her as she did so, a small sigh of relief escaping her lips. She slid back on the couch, and replaced the flower behind her ear._

"_While I'm out," Ny'iita instructed her Padawan as she headed out the door, "I want you to get changed and have your dress ready to return to the shop – and don't forget about getting rid of that necklace."_

"_I will, Master," Arion nodded._

_Ny'iita paused in the durasteel doorframe, casting a lingering look in Arion's direction. "I'm serious about this, Ari. I never want to see that thing again."_

"_I understand, Master."_

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_Alone at last in the hushed darkness of her room, Arion slipped on a flowing white sleeping shift, and then gathered up her dress from the edge of her bed. When she did, the necklace Obi-Wan had given her slipped out of the bundle, falling to the floor with a soft _ping_. She bent and carefully picked it up, not bothering to rise from her half-crouch position as she carefully studied the small object in the dimness. A quiet smile came to her face when she noticed the way that the pale green gem in the center of the silver charm sparkled despite the dimness, as if it was somehow lit from within._

_Arion bit her lip and rose, her brow furrowed in thought. She'd promised Ny that she would get rid of it, which she knew was the proper thing to do, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to even take her eyes of off the charm, let alone discard it._

_She wondered out into the sitting room, folding up her dress and placing it on a counter that divided the cozy little living area from the kitchen. She absently made her way back to her room, pausing only to briefly look out through the wide doorway to the balcony when she heard an airspeeder suddenly zip by. _

_She went back into the dark room, absentmindedly pacing the familiar floors. Abruptly, she ceased in her pacing, at last looking up from the trinket in her hand. Arion smiled slyly: the last thing Ny had said to her before leaving the apartment was that she never wanted to see the necklace again. Arion could arrange that without disposing of the object in question, and as long as she only assured her Master that she would never lay eyes on the charm again, she wouldn't be lying. Ny'iita would never know._

_Arion dashed across the room to find her utility belt. When she did, she opened one of the pockets and tucked the object inside, never to be seen or spoken of again until she'd passed the Trials and no longer had to worry about her Master discovering it. Rather pleased with herself, Arion replaced the belt and snatched up her cloak, pulling it on as she exited the bedroom and made her way out to the balcony._

_She stepped out into the night air, smiling softly to herself at the feeling of the cool breeze against her face, and the familiar sights and sounds of the city around her. She went over to the smooth durasteel railing that encircled the little balcony and placed her hands on the sleek metallic structure, carefully leaning into the rail and looking out at the stunning urban scenery around her. The city-planet that was Coruscant never seemed to cease in its steady bustling, something that Arion had been in awe of since she was a Youngling. True to form, the city was still very busy at the moment, in spite of the late hour. It suddenly struck her that she must look very silly to anyone passing by: her plain Jedi robe layered on top of her oversized sleeping clothes, but with her hair still swept back into a delicate bun and her makeup from the Ball still intact. Not that she cared at the moment; she was still basking in the brilliance of her plan to hide away the necklace. She sank down onto a nearby bench and propped her arm up against the thin railing, resting her cheek against the hollow of her elbow. With her free hand, she reached back and once again plucked the white flower out from behind her ear. She studied it as the petals fluttered gently in the breeze, watching intently as she twirled and turned the small bloom. After a few moments, she drew it in towards her, and slowly inhaled its delicate scent. Arion smiled at the pleasant scent, then carefully dropped the flower into her open palm. She extended her arm out over the railing and uncurled her fingers so that her hand was completely flat, allowing the blossom to be carried away by the wind._

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Arion fumbled with the long sleeve, her fingers working to bunch up the coarse-looking material so she could thread her arm through. Once her arm was in the sleeve, she busied herself with adjusting the rest of the tunic so that the wide collar fell into place past her shoulders. When she was finished with that, she then clinched it with a wide belt at her waist. Despite the fabric's rough appearance, Arion found that it felt surprisingly soft and comfortable against her skin. In fact, it felt almost as smooth as the material of the sleek dress she wore beneath the tunic. The dress was a pleasant light blue, with a simple sleeveless design with a collar that came up to the base of her neck. The only embellishment on the floor-length dress was a thick crescent-shaped cut out located just below the level of Arion's collarbone.

She smoothed her hands over the duel layers of fabric, then tugged apprehensively at the hem of the tunic. Biting her lip to prevent the escape of a worried sigh, she ran the palms of her hands over the material again, pressing it down against her abdomen.

"Stop agonizing, you look fine," Obi-Wan remarked to her as he opened up one of the storage units to get his own clothes out. He was still nowhere ready to leave, having only stepped out of the fresher a few moments earlier.

"I'm not agonizing," Arion insisted, crossing to the counter in order to retrieve her necklace from the place where she'd left it earlier that evening.

"Oh really," Obi-Wan grinned, discarding his towel and pulling on a pair of plain trousers, "Then what are you doing?"

"Fussing," She replied as she clasped the necklace.

Obi-Wan chuckled, reaching back into the closet.

"And how many times do I have to tell you not to leave your things on the floor?" She sighed, coming over to pick up his damp towel.

"At least once more, I'm sure," He answered, raising his eyebrows. In return, Arion shot him a sour look as she bent down to retrieve the offending object.

She collected the towel and rose, carefully folding it over her forearm.

"I don't know if I feel like going out tonight," She muttered pensively.

Obi-Wan paused, placing the article of clothing in his hand back on the shelf he'd gotten it from as he turned to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, "I though you said you'd been feeling better, do you think –"

"No, I'm alright." She cut him off quietly; though it was more of an automatic response to a question she was tired of being asked than her actual answer. She ran her thumb over an old burn scar on Obi-Wan's left arm from a brush with a lightsaber just over five years earlier. She remembered seeing the wound when it was still fresh.

"What's bothering you, then?" He questioned her.

"Nothing – it's nothing," She assured him with a nod and a half-hearted smile. She then turned to go and replace the towel by the fresher.

"Ari –" Obi-Wan caught her around the waist, slowly spinning her back to face him.

She looked back up at him, but it seemed to her that he'd forgotten what he had intended to say. Instead he stood silently, studying the depths of her violet eyes.

"You look incredible tonight," He smiled after a few moments, drawing her closer and resting his forehead against hers.

She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting the moments slowly slip by as she prepared to ask something of him that had been growing on her mind for the past few days – the true cause of her anxiety that evening.

"Come with me to Alderaan," She whispered at length, resting a hand on the small of his back.

"What?" He asked, and she felt him draw his eyebrows together in confusion.

"Alderaan," She repeated, "Let's get on the next ship out of Mos Eisley heading for Alderaan, or even a neighboring system… it doesn't matter."

"Ari, you know we can't do that," He whispered back to her.

"Please?" She begged, her voice deep with the sheer force of meaning behind the simple question.

"Maybe someday… when Luke is older, and all of this is over Alderaan will be the first place we'll go. But not now," He gently rebutted her, leaning in and kissing her to compensate for his words.

She pulled away, her eyes slowly sliding open. Obi-Wan looked down at her, running his fingers through her hair. She looked back at him in silence for a moment before she spoke again.

"It was only a thought," She lied, smiling weakly and taking her hand from his back. His answer was as good as a straight forward _no_, and they both knew it. He tried to pull her close again, but she turned away and slipped through his grasp.

"We're going to be late if you don't get dressed soon," She said as she broke away from him, moving to replace the towel she was still holding.

"Alright, I'm hurrying," He sighed, pulling the rest of his outfit off of the shelf in the storage closet.

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Arion smiled politely and shook hands with their hosts before being ushered through the door and down the stairs to the subterranean main level of the house. Unlike Obi-Wan's home, which was all one floor – one room, really – the Lars residence looked small at first, but was actually a vast network of rooms, halls, stairs, and even a sizeable central plaza, all of which were located below ground.

"Luke shouldn't be up for much longer," Beru was saying as she showed the two Jedi to their seats on a small couch in the living area. She and Owen sat on a couch across from Arion and Obi-Wan, closer to the small play pen where Luke was.

"We just can't seem to get him into bed any earlier," Beru continued, "I suppose he's just fussy that way."

Obi-Wan looked over at the child in question, a sort of fatherly smile coming to his face. Luke looked back up at the two visitors seated across the room from him, a delighted coo of a laugh gurgling up from his tiny lungs when he recognized Obi-Wan.

"So, you'll have to excuse us if dinner is a little late tonight, we've just had our hands full with Luke," Owen explained as Beru went over to the play pen and gathered Luke up into her arms.

"Especially since her learned to walk last year!" Beru laughed as she brought the child over. "He's just so hard to keep up with these days."

"I can imagine," Obi-Wan remarked, his smile growing wider.

Arion couldn't help but grin at Obi-Wan's affection for the small child. Even though she was a newcomer to the system and was feeling somewhat left out of the familial bond the others seem to have formed with each other, seeing the warm sparkle set alight in Obi-Wan's eyes kept her fully in step with the jovial and upbeat mood of the evening.

"Look who's here, Luke!" Beru said excitedly to the toddler she was holding. "It's your Uncle Ben!"

Luke giggled happily as Beru handed him over to Obi-Wan.

"_Ben_?" Arion asked with a puzzled expression.

"I changed my name in hopes of keeping the Empire off of my trail," Obi-Wan shrugged, as if he judged the information to be inconsequential.

"Oh," Arion stammered, a little put off by the fact that he hadn't bothered to tell her about this before.

"Everyone around here knows me as Ben – except for Owen and Beru."

"It's a good thing you came to us when you first arrived on-planet," Beru nodded, "No one else would have known who you were talking about when you asked for _Obi-Wan_ Kenobi."

"I see," Arion said awkwardly, though no one really noticed her uneasiness because they were all distracted by Luke.

"How's his speech coming along?" Obi-Wan asked Owen and Beru, changing the subject back to the child sitting in his lap.

"Rather well for a child his age, actually," Owen replied proudly.

"But we still can't get him to say a word around anyone he doesn't know," Beru added.

"Have you reconsidered letting me do his midi-chlorian count?" Obi-Wan questioned them, his voice taking on a more serious tone.

"No," Owen responded steadfastly, placing a hand on his wife's knee. "And we don't plan on letting you fill his head with all any of this Jedi nonsense."

"But without the proper training he'll –"

"Never know any different." Owen interrupted Obi-Wan, eyeing the Jedi Master heatedly.

Obi-Wan sighed and dropped the issue, for the time-being at least. He turned his attention back to Luke, who was contentedly sucking on the fingers of his one hand while he pulled at Obi-Wan's cloak with the other.

Arion moved closer to Obi-Wan, and Luke craned his neck to get a better look at her. He let go of Obi-Wan's robe and held his free hand out to her, which she carefully took in her own. It was strange, she thought, that this boy was one half of all the hope left in the entire galaxy. He was only a toddler, after all. A toddler who was currently trying to fit his entire fist into his mouth as a means of entertainment. Arion stifled a small laugh at the thought, supposing that all great heroes had to start somewhere… though if Owen had his way, Luke would never know of his true destiny.

"Hello there," She whispered to Luke as she watched him examine her hand like it was a new life-form. Without realizing it, Arion slipped an arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders. She'd been avoiding any such affectionate contact with him all evening, because Obi-Wan had failed to mention or indicate to the Larses that they were anything more than friends and fellow Jedi Knights. Despite her initial exasperation over the situation, Arion had soon come to realize that she didn't want to be the one who had to explain her relationship with Obi-Wan to Owen and Beru either.

"You can hold him if you'd like," Beru told her, signaling for Obi-Wan to hand Luke over to Arion with a nod of her head.

"Force," Arion muttered when Obi-Wan transferred Luke to her, taking in the child's bright blue eyes and whips of wavy blonde hair, "He looks so much like Ana–" She caught herself before she said the name out loud – "like his father."

"He really does," Beru agreed, looking over at Arion and Luke.

"And he's turning out to be just as reckless," Owen remarked, his somber mood at the mention of his step-brother melting away as a smile slowly spreading across his face. "You should see all of the trouble he gets himself into around here…"

Owen went on and on about Luke's little adventures around the moisture farm, with Beru every now and then adding in a few comic details that her husband missed. The four adults continued talking for quite awhile, the heavy silences between stories about Luke during which they all though of Anakin growing shorter and less frequent as the evening wore on. For his part, Luke became quieter and less fidgety as time went by, his drowsy yawns cutting into the cheerful conversation every few minutes.

"I should put him to bed now," Beru rose to attend to her heavy-eyed nephew when she realized that they had kept him up far past his regular bedtime.

"I can take him to his room for you," Arion offered, not wanting to disturb him after he's settled so comfortably into her arms.

"Of course," Beru smiled, "It's over this way."

Arion rose to follow the other woman, taking extra care to keep from jostling Luke when she stood up. Obi-Wan placed his hand on the small of her back to steady her, letting it linger there until she was no longer within reach.

"You're a natural," Beru complimented Arion.

Arion glanced back down at Obi-Wan, exchanging a satisfied smile with him. His face was bright with a sort of elated expression, the exact significance of which eluded Arion, though it felt as if the two of them shared this sort of subconscious knowledge that this look embodied.

Beru headed off to another part of the house, and Arion followed with the half-asleep child in her arms.

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**Please Review!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

**A/N: **Sorry for the huge delay, all. I'm a senior in high school, so things have been a bit chaotic lately, especially with college apps. Thankfully, I'm just about 100 percent done with all that business, so my schedule should be opening up a bit. Another factor that has to be considered is my rehearsals; I just finished doing one play at the beginning of the month (which was a big to-do because we performed it at a state theatre convention for an audience of 1,000) and I'm now starting work on my next show. Busy, busy, busy. I'll try to get you more updates now that things are settling down!

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Chapter Nine: A Third Person, Omnificent

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Arion sighed, slowly working her hair into a messy bun with her sticky hands. When she was finished, she ran her palm across the back of her neck, attempting to mop away the uncomfortable dampness that had formed there.

She was spending yet another long, hot afternoon locked up in the house, watching Obi-Wan as he attempted to fix up all the broken appliances he could find. With everything that was in need of repair around this place, Arion was surprised that the house didn't collapse in on itself this very moment. Today's adventure consisted of embarking on the short journey down the stairs hidden by the trap door in the floor and doing battle with an impressively large array of busted machinery stashed below ground. Arion was currently sitting, quite uncomfortably, on said staircase while Obi-Wan fiddled with the equipment, every now and then grumbling a curse or dejectedly muttering for the aid of his lost Apprentice.

"Just wait and see," Obi-Wan panted, taking a short reprieve from the repairs and wiping his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand, "Once I get these converters up and running again, we'll have real water and a functioning cooling system again. All I need to do now is –"

She tuned him out. He'd been rambling nonstop about the broken moisture converters for days now. Arion didn't care to hear any more about it – especially at this particular moment, when another wave of gut-clenching nausea was racking her body.

"Are you listening to me?" Obi-Wan questioned her, a now all-too familiar look of concern etched into his sweat-soaked features.

"Of course I am... moisture converters." She muttered a half-hearted reply. He looked as if he didn't believe her, but she only made a sour face and shrugged as she absently fiddled with a loose lock of her hair.

Obi-Wan sighed and paused a moment to clean most of the grime off of his face with a rag from the toolbox before coming over to her. She tried to duck away when he reached out towards her, but he still managed to press a greasy hand to her forehead.

"You're burning up," He remarked.

"I don't have a fever," She insisted, grabbing his hand and shoving it away. He sat down beside her, awkwardly shifting his weight as he considered whether or not it would be wise to try to touch her again.

"I think I'll go try to get some sleep upstairs," She muttered after a moment, slowly working her way back onto her feet.

"Are you sure?" Obi-Wan asked, craning his neck around to look at her as she retreated up the stairs. "I was just going to head into town to pick up a few more spare parts… you could come with me if you'd like. It might do you some good to get out of the house."

She stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down at him. His eyes, despite being set in the middle of a face smeared with dust and sweat, were shining clearly in the dim light below, his concern for her so evident in their gaze that Arion found it painful to look directly into them.

"No, that's alright," She replied quietly, climbing out of the trap door and into the main room.

"Please?" Obi-Wan tried again, his voice hoarse and weary.

She paused again as if waiting for him to finish his sentence, her expression a strange mixture of impatience and the same desperation on Obi-Wan's face.

"I'm tired," She stated in a wavering whisper, trying her best to look at anything but him as he climbed up the stairs and emerged from the trap door. Even as he took a hold of her trembling hands and pulled her closer to him, her eyes drifted aimlessly around the room.

"I _know_," He murmured softly into her ear as he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. It was all she could do to keep herself from falling against him in somnolent dejection.

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Arion was just beginning to feel herself finally giving in to the compelling pull of the quiet darkness of unconsciousness when something called out to her from the edge of her awareness. She gasped and sat up with a start, her heart racing as she swiftly surveyed the empty room. Everything was as it had been a few minutes ago, with no sign that anyone had been inside after Obi-Wan had left. Nothing out of place, and yet, somehow she thought that she'd heard someone call her name.

She sighed and rubbed her eyes to clear away the shimmering grey curtain that fatigue had imposed over her normal vision before assessing the room once more. Still nothing. Pausing a moment to wipe the newly formed sweat from her forehead, Arion finally let her guard down. She lied back and let her eyes slide shut. But it was to no avail, as seconds later, her eyes fluttered open again and she found herself keenly aware, simply staring up at the ceiling as she felt her thoughts rush busily through her mind.

Frustrated with her sudden inability to fall asleep, she turned onto her side, facing towards the wall. But the change of scenery did nothing to stop her from thinking about that voice. The sound had been so familiar to her, yet she couldn't quite place who it belonged to. It was as if she were musing over some abstract memory from childhood she wasn't even sure belonged to her. And then there was the matter of location. She'd thought it had come from somewhere inside the house, but the quality of the sound was faint and rang with a soft echo, as if it had come to her from across a great distance. It was all so strange. The more she thought about it, the harder it became to force her eyes shut.

She rolled over again, then rested for a few moments, then tossed and turned from side to for awhile, unable to find a comfortable position or keep her eyes closed long enough to fall asleep. At last, she settled on her back once again, squeezing her eyes shut despite the overwhelming sensation that someone would approach her unseen if she didn't open her eyes.

With the situation growing ever more irritating, Arion wondered if it would help if she tried to meditate; though that was something she hadn't done in years, despite Obi-Wan's insistence that she should start again. Meditation seemed so futile since Order 66, like an old, empty promise. And she already had enough of those. Now, she saw no point in holding onto the dead tradition. At least, she hadn't until this very moment.

Arion sighed and sat up, folding her legs in front of her as best she could in the long white dress she was wearing. She would do this just one time, for nostalgia's sake. It wasn't like this was really going to make a difference, anyway, she reasoned to herself as she took several deep, even breaths.

The gentle flow of the Force flooding into her consciousness came, surprisingly enough, as a jolting shockwave that almost pushed her back out of meditation. It had been so long, that she'd nearly forgotten the once familiar sensation. She took a few more calming breaths, and then finally allowed herself to be carried away by the current she'd fought against for so long.

There was silence. Tranquility. Then the voice came again, like someone calling out to her – so familiar. She _knew_ that voice… if only she could just remember whose it was… so familiar—

"Arion," The voice was now clearer than ever.

With a gasp, she opened her eyes wide, bringing the world around her rushing back in a violent burst of light. What was more, as if the shock of coming out of meditation so suddenly wasn't enough, she now saw that there was something _very_ different about the contents of the room.

"It can't be…" Arion whispered incredulously, rubbing her eyes as if what she was seeing could be a mere trick of the light that would fade away if she could just adjust her vision.

"Arion," The source of the voice said again, stepping towards her, "Open your eyes."

Her hand fell away from her face as she stared. She tried a few times to make her lips work again, to say out loud the many thoughts rushing around inside her head, but to no avail. She sat perfectly still except for the rise and fall of her chest with each unsteady breath, until she could find the strength to call up her voice again.

"Qui-Gon," She finally managed.

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**Please Review!!!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

**A/N: **Again, I'm so sorry for making everyone wait so long for chapters that are this short. I recently went through a really tough time in my life, and all of my writing just stopped for a while. But that's over now, and I've got a spring break coming up soon, so I should have some time to write. I promise that I'll finish this story eventually!

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Chapter Ten: Caesura

* * *

_The Jedi Master watched as the two Younglings sparred, his patient gaze carefully evaluating their every move as they dodged, parried, and swung their training lightsabers in a dazzling show of vividly colored beams and melodic humming. As each saber gracefully arched and spun through the air, he thought to himself that he found this to be a most interesting match indeed. One of the students was an Ithorian male whose sheer size when compared to his adversary's seemed like it should have been a decisive factor set in his favor; however, his competition, a scrawny human female barely more than half the Ithorian's size, clearly had the upper hand in this match. She moved gracefully, spinning her golden blade around in surprisingly complex patterns. He noticed that she seemed to be singularly in tune with her weapon; her every movement, down to her footwork, complementing and working perfectly in concert with the way she handled her saber. Fighting was clearly this girl's forte. She would grow into a great warrior someday, he could sense that much._

"_For a Padawan learner considering her, you are?" Master Yoda questioned him, leaning inquisitively on his gimmer stick._

"_Perhaps," Qui-Gon answered, letting his focus wander away from the two Younglings for the first time since their match had started._

"_Unsure of this decision you are, Master Qui-Gon. A long time since you have had an Apprentice, it has been." Yoda nodded perceptively._

"_Indeed it has," Qui-Gon nodded. He looked around at the other Masters and Younglings gathered in the sparring room, absently noting the whispered side conversations and subtle gestures directed at the fighters. "How old are they?" He asked as he finished scanning the crowd._

"_The boy, thirteen standard years. The girl, ten." Yoda replied._

"_Why is she fighting today? She's too young," Qui-Gon thought out loud._

"_Uncommon it is for one so young to be apprenticed, but not unheard of," The diminutive Jedi Master said, taking a step towards Qui-Gon. "Forget her age, you should. Your feelings, what do _they_ tell you?"_

_Qui-Gon brought his attention back to the match, observing the girl in silence for a time as he considered his options. There were plenty of other Masters here who could teach her if he didn't, and what good was it really in looking at a student who still had three years to find a Master when there were so many older students whose time was running out? Then again, he sensed that there was just something about this girl that made her important to him, though he couldn't quite figure out why._

"_I am… uncertain." He admitted, keeping his eyes fixed on the girl._

"_A special student she is. Needs an equally gifted teacher, she does." Yoda looked up at him, making a face that Qui-Gon figured was the equivalent of an eyebrow raise, only without actually having any eyebrows._

"_I may know someone who could fill that position. That is, if I can convince her to take on her own Padawan learner," Qui-Gon noted, the corners of his mouth turning up in a small smile._

_Across the room, the girl narrowly avoided having her lightsaber torn out of her hands by the force from the Ithorian's blows by spinning the weapon and turning away. The maneuver ended with the girl in an offensive stance that nearly caught her assailant on the tip of the beam._

"_Very good, young Arion," Yoda called out to her, tapping his gimmer stick against the floor for good effect._

_Qui-Gon nodded approvingly then folded his arms tightly against his chest as he continued to watch the match progress._

"_Feel drawn to her, you do," Yoda remarked in his knowing way._

"_The Force is telling me something here, I can feel it." He responded._

"_Listen carefully for the will of the Force, you must, and not be mislead. Someone else in mind to train her, you have. Trust your instincts, you must. Forget all other choices not." The other Master nodded slowly._

_Qui-Gon sighed, shifting his weight. As per usual, Master Yoda's advice was sound in principle, but of little help to him at the moment. For the time being, Qui-Gon decided that he wouldn't mull over the matter any further._

_

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**I know that was really short, but a review would still be much appreciated!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

**A/N: **Sorry for the wait (AGAIN). But hey, I'm here now and I've got a NEW chapter for you… so it isn't all bad. I think that I'm going to be finishing this story up pretty soon (I only planned on two more chapters after this one), so this is the last chapter that will take place in the "present." When you get there, you're going to come in towards the end of a conversation, so if you feel like you missed something, no, you didn't. Hopefully that will clear up any confusion. Now, onto the interesting part!

* * *

Chapter Eleven: In the Past, Sinking

* * *

_Obi-Wan quickly made his way down the long corridor. Every now and again, he would see someone he knew passing by or just going into or coming out of their room, but he would forgo the usual polite conversation in favor of a curt nod as he went along his way. He didn't have the time to stop and talk, as he only had so long before his match began and he'd promised her that he'd come over before he sparred. When he finally reached the right door, he stopped and knocked on the cool durasteel surface._

"_Come in," A voice called out from the other side, so Obi-Wan went in and crossed the room to where Arion was sitting on the bed, her legs folded under her and an array of datapads spread out before her. The room was currently in quite the state of disarray; Arion's clothes and other possessions littered the floor, her desk was buried under a heap of the same materials, and her crumpled sheets had been shoved into a heap that hung over the foot of the bed. As he came in, Obi-Wan added to the clutter by dropping his robe onto a chair beside the door, which had already been draped with Arion's own cloak._

"_I heard you won your match today," He smiled as he approached her, noting her disheveled appearance and the soft pink blush that still clung to her cheeks._

"_You should have seen it, Obi!" She exclaimed, looking up from the datapad she held in her hand._

"_You didn't embarrass your opponent too badly, I hope," He joked with her, clearing away some of the datapads so he could sit down next to her._

"_Oh! Let me get those…" Arion stammered uncomfortably when she saw what he was doing. She fumbled about with the datapads for a minute, trying to pick them all up at once, then unable to find a new place to deposit them. The poor girl was the very picture of adolescent clumsiness, all sharp elbows and knobby knees that stuck out at odd angles as she moved about and which were too big for her slight frame. Obi-Wan grinned sympathetically; he knew exactly what that felt like. Besides, she looked so awkwardly adorable that he could help but smile._

"_Here, I'll take care of that," He said, gently taking a hold of her wrists. He lifted two of his fingers on his right hand and channeled the Force through them, lifting the datapads out of her hands and floating them over to her desk across the room, where he set them down again._

"_Show-off," Arion snorted, rolling her eyes. "But thanks," She added meekly when he gave her a pointed look._

"_What was all that stuff for, anyway?" Obi-Wan asked, releasing her wrists._

"_Just studying," She shrugged, shifting positions to get comfortable._

"_You're a perfectionist," He sighed, flopping onto his back._

"_Well, excuse me if I haven't given up on… on… _intellectual achievement_ just yet!" Arion argued, leaning over him and wrinkling her nose as she spoke._

_Obi-Wan tucked his arms behind his head and laughed despite his efforts not to._

"_What's so funny?!" Arion pouted, but Obi-Wan only laughed harder at the anxious look on her face. She folded her arms tightly against her chest and seethed, clearly fighting off the temptation to hit him with a pillow._

_When his laughter at last began to die down, Obi-Wan propped himself up on his elbows and looked her squarely in the eye with an amused smirk._

"_You use big words for a Youngling," He stated, nudging Arion with one of his knees. "You should be careful, you might not be so lucky as to use one of those big words correctly next time."_

"_That's not funny! I'm just as smart as you are, and you know it!" She made to get up and leave, but Obi-Wan grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back down beside him._

"_And I'm not that much younger than you, either," She fumed as she yanked her arm away and rolled onto her stomach, holding herself up on her forearms._

_With another sigh, Obi-Wan fell back against the bed and looked up at her in silence. She was something else, this girl. She was right though, she was more intelligent and a better fighter than most of her cohorts, but that had more to do with good genetics than with Medi Cholrians. While he mused on the topic of Arion's "good genes", the notion occurred to him that her best inherited qualities were not only intellectual. He had been slowly realizing, over the course of the past few years, that she was growing up to be one of the prettiest girls in the Temple. Though, there was really nothing Obi-Wan could do with that thought except to forget it._

"_When does your match start?" Arion asked him, an edge of childish frustration still present in her voice._

"_We've still got time," Obi-Wan answered her quietly, reaching out and smoothing her messy hair with one hand._

"_I'm sure you'll have lots of Masters fighting over who gets to take you as their Apprentice," She muttered, trying unsuccessfully to hide her discontent with the situation under a forced smile. She'd expressed to him more than once that she had no real desire to see him get apprenticed and leave._

"_Not as many as you'll have fighting over you when you're old enough," He replied, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She reached up to cover his hand with her own, but her fingers were tense and trembling against his own, and she let go after only a moment._

"_I doubt it," She retorted half-heartedly, shaking out her offending hand. She then pushed herself forward with her elbows, moving closer to Obi-Wan so she could rest her head against his shoulder as she curled up beside him._

"_Just you wait," He in turn forced himself to sound optimistic, snaking an arm around her shoulders._

"_You know," Obi-Wan continued after a short pause, "I think we're in what they call a _compromising position_ right now."_

_It was quiet again for a few moments, and in that silence Obi-Wan could feel Arion's brow furrow in puzzlement against his chest._

"_Obi?" She asked, nuzzling against his tunic, "What does _compromising_ mean?"_

_Obi-Wan turned his head and looked down at her incredulously. Then, snorting a laugh, he reached back and grabbed a pillow to give her a friendly smack with. _

* * *

_If it hadn't been for his Jedi reflexes, the girl would have crashed right into him. As it happened, Qui-Gon barely reached out in time to catch the girl just before said collision could occur._

_Gasping with surprise, the girl, who had been looking at something behind her as she ran, swung her head around to see who or what had just taken a hold of her. There was a short moment in which he could feel her whole body stiffen beneath his grasp as she prepared herself for fight of flight, but when her frightened gaze settled on Qui-Gon's, her violet eyes lost their panicked look. The girl let out a slow sigh of relief, looking placidly into the eyes of the Jedi Master. _

_As soon as their eyes met, the same odd sensation that Qui-Gon had felt earlier that day came rushing back to him. He carefully scanned the girl's face, momentarily at loss to explain why she looked so familiar to him. Then he remembered. This was the same girl he had seen fighting the Ithorian boy in that training match. The one he had felt so drawn to._

"_And just where did you think you were going, young lady?" He asked her softly, carefully crouching down so that he was eye-to-eye with the girl._

_She giggled a bit at being called a _lady_, but quickly regained her composure before answering him. Qui-Gon briefly wondered if the calm demeanor with which she regarded him, something that seemed odd for a child of her age, was an indication that she felt connected to him through the Force just as he felt connected to her._

"_My friend's got a fight soon, but I bet him that I could get here faster than he could. And I did, I got here first," She explained, smiling proudly at the last part._

"_Really now?" Qui-Gon replied, his feeling that the Force was telling him something intensifying. "And what might your friend's name be?"_

_The girl's smile widened, and she cast an eager glance over her shoulder, her eyes lighting up when she spotted the friend she had been scanning the crowd for. She raised her arm up above her head and waved to him, calling him over._

_Qui-Gon took his hands off of the girl's shoulders and straightened, watching attentively as a boy with short, spiky light brown hair saw her signal and rushed over. As the Youngling got closer, Qui-Gon noted that he looked to be a few years older that the girl, just the proper age to be taken as a Padawan learner if Qui-Gon had guessed correctly._

"_Master," The girl said as the boy stepped forward, "This is Obi-Wan Kenobi."_

_Qui-Gon smiled as he reached out to shake Obi-Wan's hand. Now he understood. _

* * *

"That's not going to change the fact that I love him, Qui-Gon," Arion retorted desperately, stopping her frantic pacing to turn and face the shimmering spirit of Obi-Wan's former Master. 

"I'm sorry Arion, but there can be no place for love in a Jedi's heart," The apparition said quietly, the tone of his voice reminiscent of the way he had spoken to her when she was still a Padawan learner. They had been talking for so long that Arion barely noticed the faint echo that always accompanied Qui-Gon's vocalizations; she'd even gotten over the fact that the man she was currently arguing with had been dead for almost twenty years.

"Jedi or not, there will always be a place for Obi-Wan in my heart… there always has been," She replied bitterly, though she was already beginning to feel inevitable defeat stealing up on her.

"Then it will be harder for you, I am not denying that. But you know what must be done—"

"Who are you to say what I _must_ do? Did you ever consider that it may be better for me to stay with him?" She contended venomously.

"Arion," Qui-Gon sighed, "You're asking me to allow you to jeopardize the only hope for the future that the Jedi Order has. I never said that what you think is best for you and the right course of action to take would be the same thing. You are still a Jedi Knight, and if you would search your feelings instead of hiding from them, then you would see that I'm telling you the truth."

"I know what _my _feelings are, otherwise I wouldn't be here! If this was so wrong, why didn't you stop me from ever finding him in the first place?" Her throat was raw. They had been at it for what must have been hours; Arion could look out of the windows and see the deep bronze hue that the sky here took on at sunset was beginning to creep over the horizon.

"The will of the Living Force does not work towards ends that meet with your convenience. Some things are even beyond my control. If I could have interfered earlier, I would have." Qui-Gon answered solemnly.

"Right…" She snorted. She headed up the steps and into the kitchen, unable to bring herself to even face him at the moment.

"If you can tell me that you've been genuinely happy here, Arion, I will leave," He said to her retreating form, "All you have to do is tell me the truth."

His words broke against her like a well-placed blow to the gut. They formed into a great stone into the pit of her stomach and she paused, leaning on the kitchen table for support. For a moment, she stood there, unable to speak. When she finally did look back at him, all he did was slowly nod his head, as if he'd known the answer to the question before he'd even asked her.

Arion dropped down into one of the chairs next to her, clutching distractedly at the back of the chair with one hand while she held the other over her mouth.

"I can't just leave him," She whispered faintly through her fingers.

"The future of the Jedi Order depends upon Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon stated simply, and his pale blue visage began to waver. "Just remember, Arion, the longer you stay here, the harder it will be for you to decide."

"Wait!" Arion called out, but he had already disappeared from sight.

So that was it. Arion sighed helplessly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as if she could erase the puffy redness that had formed there if she kept rubbing at it.

Another hour or two passed. The house was silent except for the faint electrical hum of technology and the occasional sound like wind or something moving coming from the canyon outside. She sat, just as quietly, at the small table in the kitchen, waiting. Obi-Wan would be home soon. Arion swallowed back a lump in her throat as she contemplated what she would have to say to him when he finally did arrive. She'd rehearsed it what seemed like a hundred times over, but the words never seemed to form in her head anymore clearly as she went on. It would always start out _"It wasn't my fault…" _or _"I can't fight this thing anymore…"_ but it just didn't sound right; the first one wasn't true, and the second just didn't sit well with her. She didn't fight things here, things fought her.

But what else could she say to him? There was always _"I spoke with your dead Master, and _he _convinced me that I don't love you."_ It wasn't the truth either, though—a half-truth at best—but it would be easier to explain. Maybe he would hate her less if she just said it, just told him that she didn't love him anymore, that it was all a mistake. It might be easier for him to swallow than the truth. Force, _she_ didn't even understand the truth. Conversations with a dead man.

Arion tensed when she heard the door open behind her. Obi-Wan was home. Arion could sense his weariness, his frustration at having spent the whole afternoon and evening bartering for half-suitable spare parts that wouldn't even last the season. What would he say when she told him that it would all amount to nothing?

"You're still up?" He asked as he passed her on his way downstairs.

"I am," She answered quietly, not bothering to get up as she listened to him shuffle around, setting up to begin working again the next morning.

"What's the matter?" He asked her after he'd reemerged and shut the trap door behind him, coming up behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders.

Arion sucked her lower lip in, biting down and anxiously working the flesh between her teeth for a few moments. She sighed and put her hand on top of his, intertwining their fingers as he bent down and kissed her temple.

"Do you remember the night I came here?" She asked at length, rising to stand facing him.

"Of course I do," He smiled, tucking a stray wisp of hair back behind her ear.

"You told me that sometimes you would talk to Qui-Gon to pass the time," She continued, taking a small step towards him, "I thought that you were only speaking figuratively; when I would meditate on a problem, I often imagined discussing the issue with Ny… I guess I just assumed that's what you meant."

"Ari," Obi-Wan gave her a concerned glance, reaching out to pull her closer, "Why are you saying this?"

She took a hold of his arms just above his elbows, pushing him back. He looked puzzled, and Arion could tell that the uneasiness he had been trying to draw out of her was now creeping into his mind.

"Because," She said softly, ducking her head, "I spoke to him today."

"You spoke with Qui-Gon?" He gently took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted her head back so she had no choice but to look him squarely in the eye.

"He asked me if I was happy here," She confessed, doing her best to avoid his eyes, but to no avail. "He said…"

"Tell me what's going on here, Ari. Please," He begged her, wrapping both of his arms tightly around her and resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you," She managed to choke out through a strange sensation like her throat collapsing in on itself, "I love you, and I can't stay with you."

"What?" Obi-Wan abruptly pulled away from her. "You were the one who insisted that we—"

"I know," She interrupted him, her resolve already wavering when put against the frantic, agonized look in his eyes. The guilt of what she was doing weighed down upon her unbearably. "This is about more than just the way I feel about you. This is about everything. About Luke. About the future… the Jedi Order."

"You told me that none of that mattered anymore," He insisted distraughtly, stepping around her and sitting down in the chair that she had formerly occupied. He ran a trembling hand through his hair, staring down at the flat, empty surface of the table stretching out before him.

"You _are_ all of those things, Obi-Wan; so much depends upon you," Arion said as she turned and crouched down beside him. She looked up at him from where she knelt on the floor, waiting for some kind of response. He didn't say anything.

"Obi-Wan," She whispered again, reaching out and taking his hand, "You have to do this. You came here for a purpose, and I would only stand in your way. I can't let that happen. Please understand."

"Where will you go?" He asked indistinctly, his eyes fixed on some far away place or thing that Arion couldn't see.

"Back to Alderaan. Bail will protect me, and I can look after Leia just like you look after Luke," She answered him, somehow managing to muster up the strength to give his hand a reassuring squeeze, despite aching, hollow feeling in her arms.

He finally turned to look down at her, his face wan with the same somnolent resignation that she felt deep inside of her.

"I love you," He said in a tear-choked gasp.

"I know." She found herself smiling at him through the veil of unshed tears that was clouding her vision and threatening to spill over at any moment. She nearly jumped up, grasping him in her arms as she kissed him, and he in turn held her against him as tightly as he could.

* * *

**A/N: Please try not to kill me... I did plan this. Review nicely!!!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

**A/N:** Well, I consider this to be the last official "chapter," though the story will have an epilogue that I'll publish shortly. I'm calling this the last one because I like to think that the story is now ending where it began, in a way. You'll see. It's a flashback and she's about five years old here, so I did my best to imitate the way a little kid speaks with the dialog. Hence, the odd spelling of a few words. Other than that… enjoy.

* * *

Chapter Twelve: To Be Broken

* * *

_They'd said it was because she was crying again. Because she wouldn't stop asking for him between racking sobs._

"Again_?" Obi-Wan had grumbled when the Masters interrupted him during lightsaber training. This was his favorite class of the whole day, and now he would have to miss it because Ari was having a tantrum again._

_They took him to the Infirmary, where she was sitting on one of the cots with one of the older Healers. The old Jedi woman had stayed with Ari while the others had gone looking for Obi-Wan, whispering comforting words to her as she stroked the girl's long, dark hair. Ari's face was all red from crying and her big, violet eyes glistened with a seemingly unending river of tears._

_Obi-Wan paused in the durasteel doorframe and reached back to scratch the crown of his head. He rubbed nervously at his newly cut hair, which he had chopped short to emulate the older boys who were old enough to become Padawan Learners. Obi-Wan would have to wait almost five whole years before he could join them. It felt like forever. _

_Seeing his hesitation, one of the Masters who had taken him out of class put her hands on the small of his back and gave him a little push forward. Taking the hint, he slowly stepped towards the cot. He didn't like being in the Infirmary, even if it was only to see Ari. The Healers made him nervous. He took a few tentative steps ahead, and the Healer who had been sitting with Ari rose to leave the girl to him. The elderly Jedi smiled at Obi-Wan as she passed him, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder._

_Obi-Wan cleared his throat as he sat down on the cot beside Ari, giving her a small, slightly forced, smile that seemed to clam her down a little. It was difficult for Obi-Wan to remember exactly how he'd met the girl, though his earliest memories of her were from a time when he was no older than she was now. Perhaps it was the fact that Ari had known Obi-Wan for nearly her entire life, or perhaps it was just one of those strange bonds that some Younglings seem to form with each other almost instantly; but whatever the reason, Obi-Wan was one of the only beings in the entire Temple who the little girl trusted, and the only one who could comfort her in times such as these._

"_Hello there," He said, ruffling her soft, thin hair._

_She sniffled, wiping away the tears on her cheeks with a loosely clenched fist before sticking her thumb into her mouth._

"_Hewo," She replied in a quiet, muffled voice._

"_You gotta stop doing that," Obi-Wan told her with the juvenile arrogance of a boy who would like to think that he's so much older than he really is. He took a hold of her fist and eased it away from her lips._

"_Nuh-uh," Ari shook her head. After a brief struggle, she managed to pull her hand out of his and triumphantly resumed sucking her thumb._

_Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, giving up on her for the time being. At least she wasn't crying anymore._

"_So, what cha sad about?" He asked._

"_I miss Mommy," She shrugged in her simple, five-year-old's way. _

"_What?" He stammered, pulling her thumb out of her mouth again. She whined inarticulately, but he refused to let go of her hand._

"_I miss Mommy," She pouted._

"_You don't even remember her," Obi-Wan argued with mild annoyance._

"_Nuh-uh, Obi," She insisted stubbornly, making an angry face at him._

"_Fine, whatever you say," Obi-Wan snorted, returning her hand to her and folding his arms across his chest. The girl stared up at him in silence for awhile, trying to ascertain whether or not he was really angry with her._

"_I dun wanna be a Jedi no more," She whimpered, her lower lip trembling as fresh tears sprung to her eyes._

"_Why?" He questioned her, looking back down at her concernedly._

"_Cause I dun wanna be awone." She began to cry again, futilely trying to brush the tears off of her face as fast as they were falling._

"_You're not alone… you got me," Obi-Wan tried to cheer her up as he gently rubbed her back with one hand._

"_You gonna get 'prenticed and go way," She said all in one shaky breath before throwing her arms around his waist as if he would never grow older and leave her if she just held him tightly enough._

"_Not true," Obi-Wan shook his head, wrapping his arms around her petite shoulders, "I'll be your friend forever."_

"_But… Master Yoda said Jedi can na have 'ttachments," Ari sniffed, her voice getting all muffled from her pressing her face against his tunic as he held her._

"_When did Master Yoda say that?" He inquired softly, running his hand through her hair like he'd seen the Healer doing earlier._

"_T'day," She replied, hugging him even tighter. "Master… Master Yoda… he says no 'ttachments. No Mommy, no f'ends, no get married," Ari loosened her grip on him just enough to maneuver her head so that she could look up at him for the last part, "No _Obi_."_

_So that's what this outburst was really about. Obi-Wan swallowed back a lump in his throat. Learning the truth about the solitary nature of a Jedi's existence was one of the harder pills for a young Initiate to swallow. His heart went out to the poor girl, but he didn't know what to tell her to make it better. He couldn't outright deny it, even though her understanding of the rule wasn't completely correct, because she'd have to face this again, and soon. He shifted uncomfortably._

"_Obi?" Ari whispered hoarsely beneath her bawling, "I dun wanna be 'lone."_

"_I know," He said, unable to let her misery go on any longer, even if it meant telling her a little white lie, "But I'm going to promise you something, okay?"_

"_Wha?" The poor thing began to look hopeful for the first time._

"_I will never let you be alone, no matter what Master Yoda says. I'll always be here for you," He murmured soothingly into her ear as he continued stroking her hair._

"_Promise?" Ari asked quietly as she snuggled closer up against him._

"_I promise," Obi-Wan reassured her quietly as he carefully rested his cheek against the top of her head._

* * *

**Reviews are always appreciated!**


	14. Epilogue

**Title: **Broken Faith

**Author: **Science Fantasy

**Rating: **M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars, any of the characters, places, etc. Except for the stuff I made up (which is consequently my property), it all belongs to George Lucas and Company. I don't make any money for writing this stuff.

**A/N:** Wow. Today is two years to the day since I published the very first chapter of this story… and now it's finally done. It's so weird to think that after two whole years, I won't be working on this story anymore, especially since it's been with me for the majority of my high school career (seriously, I'm graduating tomorrow). I guess I'd just like to say that it's been a fun two years. I know that I've lost some readers over that time and gained some others, so it's difficult to say just who I'm speaking to when I say: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! There were times when I wanted to quit, but then I would see all of your encouraging reviews and it would give me the inspiration to sit down and type that next chapter. Thank you guys for making this my most-reviewed story to date. That being said… this chapter is the epilogue. It's short and sweet (and pretty cheesy), and I hope you all enjoy it! It's set in the future, so I had a big debate with myself about whether or not to put it in italics, but in the end I decided against them because they've been giving me a headache. I drafted this so many times, and scraped so many different versions, but I'm hoping that what you're getting here is worth all of that writing. Anyway, I'm going to take my final bow now, and leave you guys to it!

* * *

**"Never! I'll never turn to the dark side. You've failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."**

* * *

Epilogue: Kenobi and Skywalker

* * *

Luke looked around the ruined Temple, carefully picking his way through the rubble. He stepped over large stones that had once been part of majestic columns or beautiful statues, doing his best to avoid treading on the occasional remains of broken lightsabers or droids that had been left behind by the thieves and salvagers who had been raiding this over the past twenty-odd years. Even in its current state of decay, Luke noted that the ancient building still had an air of proud magnificence about it. He could almost envision the Temple back in the old days, before the Empire, with well-maintained corridors and brightly lit rooms that held a diverse multitude of Jedi, from Younglings just taking their first steps towards Knighthood to Masters sitting on the High Council. 

He crouched down when he saw that one of the stone blocks at his feet was actually a face from one of the crumbling statues that lined the halls. Luke slowly ran his fingers over the stone visage, wondering who it had been modeled after and what that great Jedi Knight had done to earn a place as one of the Temple's many icons. This train of thought reminded him that he needed to find a library, some archives, or any other place where information might be stored here. He felt that he owed it to Ben, Yoda, and his father, to at least attempt to uncover whatever knowledge he could and pass it on to his new order of Jedi Knights so that they would know something of their history. And if there was any data still left to be acquired after the fall of the Republic, the Jedi Temple was as good of a place as any to start looking.

Suddenly, Luke stiffened. Through the Force, he could feel a presence drawing closer from behind him. A Force Signature. It was not dark or malevolent, just waiting. Patient. It watched him as he sifted through the ruins, unwilling to disrupt him too soon. Without standing, Luke looked over his shoulder to see who the presence was. It was a girl, about three years his junior, dressed in old, worn-out robes like the ones Ben Kenobi used to wear. She was rather tall for a human female of her age, and thin, too. Her long, straight brown hair gave off a reddish sheen when the light hit it just right, matching the muted glow of her fair complexion. But it was her gentle, blue-grey eyes that really caught his attention. There was something _familiar_ about them, even though Luke was sure that he'd never seen the girl before in his life. Shaking off the strange feeling that her eyes gave him, Luke looked away just as she took a small step towards him, and noticed a metallic glint on her hip. He looked closer. From her belt hung the hilt of a lightsaber, a weapon that he only caught a glimpse of when her cloak flowed away from her body as she moved.

"Hello there," She smiled at him as he rose, continuing to take little, cautious steps in his direction. When he didn't immediately respond to her greeting, she paused for a moment, and then held out her hand.

"Hello," He replied at length, shaking the hand she'd offered him, "I'm Luke Skywalker."

"Skywalker, huh? It's an honor," She beamed, giving his hand an enthusiastic squeeze, "I'm An'ya Kenobi."

"Kenobi?" Luke exclaimed, furrowing his brow and pulling her closer. "As in _Ben_ Kenobi?"

"Ben? Oh, right… I guess you would have known him as Ben," An'ya said nervously, easing her hand out of his. "He's my father."

"Ben Kenobi was your father?" Luke asked her skeptically, scanning her face for some sort of family resemblance that might prove her assertion.

"So I'm told," An'ya shrugged, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Ben never told me he had a daughter." Luke's gaze drifted back up to the girl's face, where it finally struck him. Her eyes. She had her father's eyes.

"He doesn't know about me," She admitted, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "I grew up on Alderaan. With your… _sister_, if I remember correctly."

"My twin sister… you know Leia?" He stammered.

"Small galaxy, huh?" She giggled timidly, absently reaching up to grab at a necklace string around her neck; she pulled on it to reveal a small charm, a silver sun with a tiny green gem in the center, that had been previously been hidden in the folds of her robes.

"It sure looks that way," Luke smiled at her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He couldn't stop thinking of so many different questions he could ask her, all the things he would like to know. Instead, all that came out was, "What brings you the Jedi Temple?"

"It's a long story," An'ya began as the two of them started off towards a large staircase at the end of the corridor, "I joined the Rebel Alliance when my mother died in the destruction of Alderaan… I was off-world at the time. Anyway, I started smuggling for the Rebels, using this place as a base for making some black-market trades here on Coruscant. After the Empire was defeated—I guess I have you to thank for that—I came back here, looking for anything that might help me complete my training."

"Your training?" Luke questioned her hopefully. A Force sensitive being with a lightsaber was one thing, a Jedi Knight was another. With any luck, the latter of the two could be of great use to him in his new Order.

"My mother began training me as a Jedi Knight when I was young," She answered, "Though Uncle Bail didn't exactly approve."

"Sounds familiar," Luke chuckled, a small grin spreading across his face as memories of the conflict between Ben and his own Uncle surfaced in his mind.

"I guess this Jedi stuff is all in the family with us," An'ya continued, pausing before they began to climb the ornate Temple stairway. "I'm willing to go along with that tradition if you are."

"By all means," Luke nodded, glad to have someone else to help him clean up the mess the Empire had made of the Jedi. He gestured for her to begin the ascent up the stairs first.

"My mother told me that our fathers were close friends for years before the fall of the Republic," She went on, looking back at him until he caught up with her. "You wouldn't believe some of the stories!"

Luke laughed as An'ya recounted to him what her mother had referred to as _the infamous exploits of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi_, the two of them walking through the regal passages and rooms of the Temple much as their fathers had all those years ago. After more than twenty long years, the Temple was finally about to become the home of another celebrated Skywalker and Kenobi team.

* * *

**The End.**


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